President stresses integrative approach to crime

from Sunday Chronicle
October 6, 1996


In an ongoing effort to eradicate the crime situation in Guyana, President Cheddi Jagan recently met a high level delegation which included the Chief of Staf, Joe Singh, Commissioner of Police, Laurie Lewis, Attorney General Charles Ramson, and Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Kurshid Sattaur, among others.

According to a GIS release, the President was speaking on the regular television programme This Week With the President when he said: "The objective is to see what we can do in a very integrated way to solve the problem of criminal activity."

Expressing the Government's concern on the issue, the President said, "We are concerned about bringing down and eradicating it (crime) as far as possible in Guyana."

One of the measures instituted by the Government, was involving the Army and Police in joint patrols in Georgetown and across the ten administrative Regions of Guyana.

"This is ongoing," the President noted and said that steps are being taken to increase the patrolling activity and the strength of the Army and the Police Force.

President Jagan stated that Government is considering community services where criminals can pay back the community while creating more opportunities for them to be skilled and educated. This will help them to find their places in society. "In this regard, organisations will also be approached for microloans," the President said.

"In addition, we need to look at the root cause of crime too and the rehabilitation aspect," the President explained.

Dr. Jagan highlighted shortage of staff in the Police Force, inadequate salaries, and lack of crime-fighting equipment as major issues which are being dealt with.