Concerned about the recent rise in violent crime, President David Granger will today convene a high-level security meeting to craft a crime-fighting strategy.
The Ministry of the Presidency last evening stated that Granger would convene the meeting as his first order of business following his return from the Caricom Heads of Government Meeting in Barbados.
The meeting, according to a ministry statement, will commence at 9 am at the Ministry of the Presidency and will include Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Brigadier Mark Phillips.
The upsurge in crime was recently discussed at Cabinet.
Police have in the past linked a rise in crime to an increase in commercial activities during the July/August period.
Last month, new Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had expressed concern at the force going into this period with a 9% increase in serious crimes. “…If we have a 9% now and we are going into that period, we wouldn’t be looking too good,” he had said.
Late former Police Commissioner Henry Greene, in 2010, had told Stabroek News that the police force had recognised that there was a link between the upsurge in armed robberies for hard cash and big entertainment shows headlined by
