We simply can’t go on like this

Whether real or perceived, the government has indicated that there is a national security threat in Guyana, and consequently, it has deployed the army as a precautionary measure, and also to help the police fight crime. While such action seems most appropriate at this time, the administration should provide more information to the public. Suffice it to say that this issue will be addressed in another editorial.

In terms of crime, the people are not buying into the supplied data that crime has reduced. And it seems that the government hasn’t either.

The seemingly unending cycle of violent crime is weighing down on the citizenry, creating a sense of hopelessness. It is not easy waking up to news of another murder or armed robbery. Most of the targets prove that the criminals have become more emboldened. They have also descended into further savagery. In the past two weeks, there have been four murders and countless armed robberies.

With each incident the society reacts with shock, dismay and fury, denouncing the actions of the criminals, especially when the elderly and children are among the victims.

We have repeatedly argued that part of the solution to crime is for an improvement in the relationship between the police and citizens that would encourage the passing of information from the latter to the former. The increased use of modern technology, such as forensics and monitoring of CCTV footage, would go a far way to help reduce crime.

We hold firmly to the view that rampant crime is one of the consequences of extreme impoverishment of the masses. The huge gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots,’ is certainly not helping. While some are living in unbelievable wealth and comfort, many persons are struggling and others are living in hopeless squalor. The poverty rate is high and the jobless more than likely have been turning to crime to survive.

The country simply cannot go on like this. Those in authority should know better, but are doing very little to improve the lives of the poor. More assistance should be given to the struggling communities to help them organize in order to provide social and economic improvement in people’s lives, which will result in their appreciation for law and order. It can be done, but it requires political will, hence the assertion that resolving crime problems will require hard work and a belief in what is good for the country.

It took us a while to reach this worrying state of affairs; it will not be easy to put a lid on it. It is not going to be instant either. A multi-faceted approach is needed to resolve crime. Some argue that economic growth will eventually reduce the terrible economic disparities through employment and lower the crime rate. Others believe that reducing unemployment will be a motivating force for education and training and also, the reduction of crime.

Sustained economic growth rate of about five percent is required to have a significant societal impact on crime. However, this cannot happen in the absence of transformative leadership.

Criminals must be confronted and rooted out from their comfort zones. Adequate resources are urgently needed to, among other things, properly equip the police force, upgrade the justice system and modernize the prisons so that inmates can be rehabilitated and trained for legitimate work rather than becoming more hardened criminals.

But as we have said previously, there has to be a collective political will to effectively fight crime on all fronts. The police cannot fight crime alone. Concerted action by the Government, the Opposition, business leaders, church leaders, and the people as a whole, is needed to mobilize communities and society to help the police. If we accept that crime is our biggest problem, it must be treated as such.