Dear Editor,
Violent crimes, brutal murders, a large number of suicides coupled with massive corruption are a bugbear to the country’s development, since the police and other law enforcement agencies are unable to deal with the volume of crime now taking over the country.
Pastor Wendell P Jeffrey, the Founder of Practical Christianity Ministries, wrote a letter in one of the newspapers that there was “a set of young addicts whose minds are being altered by the imbibing of the abundance of narcotic substances available in Guyana.”
He added, “I would guarantee you that a great percentage of the loot carried away by these savage-minded individuals is ploughed right back into the drug trade … it is a known fact that alcohol, ganja, and cocaine are the drugs of choice that inoculate the consciences of these youths before and after the crimes.”
These gruesome murders are now prevalent in rural areas, like West Berbice, Corentyne, West Demerara, East Bank. This is a sad state of affairs which needs quick attention by the authorities. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has an office in Georgetown, but that body concentrates on large-scale drug trafficking and not consumption by individuals. The high suicide rate in the country also needs to be looked at very closely. A large number of cases are linked to alcohol and drugs.
The deportation of 104 Guyanese from the United States might also pose a problem for law enforcement in the country because some of them might not be law abiding citizens.
The Guyana Government is busy dealing with corruption and does not have the personnel to tackle day-to-day crime. However, the authorities are doing a reasonable job in the circumstances.
I feel that there is need to approach international agencies for assistance.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet
