‘Dog and pony show’ won’t help crime; Rohee attacks Gov’t crime approach, dismisses involvement in “intellectual crimes”

Last Updated on Monday, 13 July 2015, 17:34 by GxMedia

Police on standby outside Gravity Night Club, Regent and Camp Streets to enforce the 2 AM closure order.

by Zena Henry

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) continues to take the government to task over the current crime situation and has declared that the Administration’s ‘dog and pony show” proposal will not work.

Speaking as former Home Affairs Minister at the PPP’s press conference Monday July 13, Clement Rohee again ridiculed the government for not having a public security strategy and offered some advice to the current Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan who he claims, “has failed to put forward a progressive and comprehensive citizen security plan like the PPP did.”

He said,“Mr. Ramjattan should draft one (citizen security plan), consult with the relevant stake holders including the National Commission for Law and Order, take it to Cabinet for consideration and if approved, have it published, sent to law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders for implementation.”

Quite the opposite has happened, he stated, “Instead of presenting a draft strategy to (President) Granger, his boss, Granger presents one to Ramjattan and instructs him- and like the dutiful servant- to go refine it and implement it.”

Rohee said he looks to see whether “Ramjattans latest proposal for a dog and pony show, will find favour with the security experts…”

Minister of State Joseph Harmon reported at a Cabinet press conference last week that after a high level meeting of security officials chaired by the President, an elaborate plan was put together. It includes the use of more police officers and, “the use of horses, of dogs to go after criminals is also going to be part of that strategy,” he noted.

Outside of this Harmon had noted to that the spike in specifically gun crimes seemed to be the work of “intellectual authors,” suggesting that something orchestrated was happening. Although Harmon did not mention the PPP being involved Rohee stated at the press conference that the government would have to provide evidence to show the party’s involvement.

 “I saw Harmon speak to something like that and I was rather taken aback…because he has to provide the evidence.” “I heard them make mention of intellectual authors and they know who are behind these things creating a scenario that they are politically inspired.”“…let them provide evidence that any member of the PPP leadership or otherwise is part of this.”

On the 2:00am curfew which seems to be increasingly enforced, Rohee again slammed this move saying that the government has no right to the “curtailment of the freedom of any Guyanese or to seek to alter long held customs and morals of law abiding Guyanese or for that matter the nation as a whole.”

The method is being used to curb crime. Last weekend many drinking outlets were closed at the new times. Open spaced bars are being closed at 12:00am, while clubs and enclosed drinking locations are closed at 2:00am.

Rohee has noted that there is no scientific evidence to show this method would help the crime situation. He said the government during their campaign serenaded the people with brilliant and sale-able plans and solutions to the crime situation… “they fooled the people into believing that given their military, police and legal backgrounds they were the messiahs to save the nation from ‘Rohee’s and the PPP’s ineptitude’ at crime fighting.”

The Guyana Police Force last week reported a nine percent increase in serious crimes during the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.