Dear Editor,
For the past two months or more, there hasn’t been a day where the crime situation in Guyana has not dominated the headlines of the more popular dailies. One has to be really naïve not to observe that violent crime is on the rise, and that there is no evident macro plan to counter this.
The noticeable absence of any type of proactive approach seems to be a motivation for anyone with a gun to get into the business of armed robbery.
I am forced to deduce that this is all happening as a consequence of the lack of visionary leadership at both the Ministry of Public Security and the Guyana Police Force. This situation is further compounded by the tragic conditions prevailing at the Georgetown Prisons, which also falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Public Security. Minister Ramjattan is obviously out of his depth at this ministry, and his Commissioner is like Alice in Wonderland.
While I understand the provisions of the Cummingsburg Accord, I urge the President to consider removing both Mr Ramjattan and the Commissioner of Police from their respective appointments, before the crime situation escalates further. While Mr Ramjattan may be a clever lawyer, public security is definitely not his forte. He should be reshuffled to a ministry for which his qualifications make him suitable.
Yours faithfully,
George Gomes
Lieutenant Colonel (rtd)
