President Jagdeo must be commended for FINALLY recognizing the fears and insecurity of the Indian population, and taking steps to rectify it. The “baby steps” they have announced is a move in the right direction, and we urge them to go the full mile to allay the fears of the Indian population, and eventually ensure the security of the entire nation.
We recognize that President Jagdeo and the PPP is in an inherently weak position to enforce certain actions, because of the “military” strength of the PNC. However, it is our view that security of the Indian population is the most important issue in Guyana today, and needs to be resolved now, once and for all. It is our view the PPP must recognize that democracy will not exist if half of the population cannot vote without suffering from post-elections aggression, and that the PPP should act NOW to prevent this from happening again. The problem will not go away by itself, but must be removed by firm action. The PPP had a shortened term after the 1997 elections. Now, after the 2001 elections, the PPP seems focused on the PNC agenda, at the expense of its own supporters and the rest of the nation.
President Jagdeo told the people at Albion inter alia “Whether the Police are here or not, I am here" and "I know how people feel when they are robbed and raped; I know the anger.” We are tempted to ask why, then, did he allow the Albion situation to develop before he personally visited, and before he took action. However, we prefer to focus instead on the fact that he now acknowledges the problem and is moving to rectify it.
We urge the PPP to recognize that Albion is but a MICROCOSM of the nation. We urge them to implement their plans for Albion, throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. We urge them to act now and not wait for another Albion before they react. We ask them not to send “Albion” policemen to other Indian areas. We ask them to install a Civilian Complaints Board and actively investigate the Police Force and rid it of unsuitable elements. We ask them to replace Laurie Lewis with someone who can bring new and fresh ideas to solve very old problems. That someone must be able to train the Police Force in racial sensitivity and tolerance, fight corruption, enforce moral and work ethics, and in general restore the image and efficiency of the Force. We also implore them to spend all money necessary to modernize the Police Force with vehicles, weapons, equipment, riot control gear, communications, etc., and to build strong and well-equipped Community Policing Groups.
Finally, we contend that two firearms in a Community Police Group is wholly INADEQUATE to tackle criminals with heavy automatic weapons. We recommend that firearms in Community Police Groups be allocated to suitable persons who are dedicated to serving the Group in defense of their community, and not necessarily given to party “loyalists”. We also ask that firearms licenses be swiftly issued to public-spirited residents who will come out to support the Community Police Groups, and to ALL persons with legitimate needs.
