LAW AND ORDER IN GUYANA SEEMS VERY SELECTIVE – by Francis Quamina Farrier
The Guyana Police Force and the Georgetown City Police, have increased their efforts in bringing LAW and ORDER to our dear country – but generally, only to the small man and the small woman, it seems. In this article, I am sharing with you some candid photographs of how the Law Men and Law Women are operating during this Jubilee Year, which is not totally over.
All this is happening at a time when the government has informed the Nation of the many alleged multi-million dollar crimes and corruption and the many serious alleged frauds by High Profile (former) government Operatives. These were uncovered by Forensic Audits, exposing some really important and very powerful (former) Operatives in the country, as being really Big Time Crooks.
Some of them have already skipped the country and are hiding mainly in the United States of America. My understanding is that the FBI knows where they are, and all of their movements are being monitored.
Recently, before his departure from Guyana, American Diplomat Mr Bryan Hunt, stated that there will be extraditions from the United States to Guyana. As the late Boxing Champion Mohammed Ali used to say, “You can run, but you can’t hide.” But with the ordinary Guyanese who commit minor offences, they can neither run nor hide. The Law Enforcers are there with the BIG STICK, swinging right, left and center, and with no mercy whatsoever. We have seen it so many times. Remember that merciless beating of that Amerindian mother and her little son by Police ranks at Aishalton in the deep south Rupununi a few years ago?
Now, it would be remiss of me if I fail to let you know that I have been interacting with some of our Law Enforcers quite a lot in this Jubilee time, and I have found some of them who have a real heart of gold. They regularly do their duties in a very professional way. They tell me that they are not all together in agreement with this heavy handed treatment of the little offender by the Establishment. Especially bearing in mind all those Big Time Crooks who are, so far, not been arrested, a situation which the American Diplomat, Mr Bryan Hunt, also alluded to. The average Guyanese law-abiding citizen, also has grave concerns that they are told who are alleged to have stolen the Public’s Property, but who, after a year, have not been made accountable for their alleged crimes against the Guyanese People.
There is that saying, “What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.” So, if the little offender is targeted and severely punished upon conviction, then the Big Time Crooks must also feel the heavy hand of the Sheriff’s Big Stick. That is the opinion of many Law-Abiding Guyanese. Let’s get it right. What is going on at present is like showing the trailer of an action-packed movie, and not showing the movie. As I mentioned in a previous article, a statement I over-heard while on my way to the Flag Raising Ceremony in Georgetown, on the night of May 25, 2016; “This is Jubilee, not Stupidee.” Lots of what is going on regards Law and Order in Guyana right now, is like ‘stupidee’, and very counterproductive, and the people are talking about the selective way in which Law and Order is being conducted and dispensed in Guyana at this time of our history. Many people are asking, “Where is the promised change?” Will the big crooks be allowed to get away without ever being made to be accountable for their alleged crimes? And as the American Diplomat Bryan Hunt stated, should he have done the same, what would make those who come after him not continue the tradition of corruption.
One does not have to be an FBI Agent to question one’s self about the many large buildings which are being constructed in the country, and which remain unoccupied for years and years, and to wonder what’s really going on! Under what circumstance would someone invest tens of millions of dollars to construct a four, five, six, and in some cases, a seven story structure, only to have it remain unoccupied for years and years. Many ordinary citizens are asking that question. One of those tall buildings even had a high profile official opening over a year ago. Since then nothing has happened in that building, to the best of our observations, it is there, like a giant bit of decoration in the city, and nothing commercial happening there. Many Guyanese are talking about the pressure on the small law breaker, as they see how all of the alleged Big Time Crooks, seem to be treated as Untouchables.
During a recent raid by the Georgetown City Council Police on some vendors who were selling illegally on the Water Street Pavement, comments from the irate crowd included, “Ow, man, they could chase them. They didn’t have to destroy their little goods!”. People are outraged that such harsh action is taken against the petty law breaker, when the white collar law breakers continue their multi-million dollar crimes with impunity. Many years ago, while I was conducting an interview with Police Commissioner, Laurie L. Lewis, at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, he expressed his concern that while the little fellows were being given stiff prison sentences for being caught with a ‘joint’, the big drug lords were carrying out their ‘business’ untouched. Laurie Lewis has passed on. The PPP/C government has passed on. The years have passed on. But nothing in this aspect of the lives of decent Guyanese has really changed, so far. However, as the Guyanese statement goes, “Time Longer than twine”: HOW long?… is the real question. The other question is, How soon will LAW and ORDER go after, not only the petty crooks, but the big time crooks as well?
PHOTOS:

After a grand opening ceremony some years ago, this building at the corner of Camp & Lamaha Streets in Georgetown is void of any seen commercial activity.

Located at the corner of East and New Market Streets, this is one of the many large buildings in Georgetown which remain empty, years after construction.

Located at East and Quamina Streets in Georgetown, this building has only about 10% occupancy in about ten years after its construction.

Members of the Guyana Police Force raid the back of the Stabroek Market, where the target was the homeless. June 2016.
Members of the Georgetown City Police on the attack of Vendors on Water Street, Georgetown, June 2016.

City Hall Pick-Up taken to transport perishable goods seized from Vendors in the Stabroek Market area in Georgetown in June 2016.

City Hall Pick-Up taken to transport perishable goods seized from Vendors in the Stabroek Market area in Georgetown in June 2016.
Comments
Shameful…disgraceful !
Are these vendors illegal aliens !
Dont they live somewhere ?
Are they registered voters ?
Seizing vendors goods is not the
way you recover funds….
You replace vendors who do not pay
with ones that do so. Remove them
and their goods from their stalls/location/spot. Move them on
to designated areas for non payers.
Only allow vendors in these “prime”
areas/spots who pay their rent in advance…. Before allowed to trade.
Am sure there are better ways to deal
with this problem ….seizing perishable
goods is not one.
On my last visit to GT I promised
not to return unless the market
square was safe ! Was nearly run
over by a “distracted” driver !
Enjoyed the article so keep em coming
uncle Francis.
Would love to see video of big
market square today ….hope it’s not
as con jested or chaotic as my
last visit.
Thanks bro
Kamtan
Thanks for your kind comments. The Stabroek Market area is much better than this time last year. However, there is still much work to be done to bring it up to proper/previous standards.
LET THE HOMELESS TAKE OVER THOSE EMPTY BUILDING.
Better idea..
The vendors who cannot afford to pay
move their stalls to unoccupied buildings ! Yes the rough sleeper
outside parliament buildings says
it all…now that oil is discovered off
Guyana coast will all Guyana 750.000
Citizens become millionaires ?
Advice
Leave oil where it is and use IMF
WB loans to build more hospitals
/schools/homes for homeless.
@Kamtan Did you ever want to pee while in GT? Where did you go. In India and China the govts have set out to build thousands of public toilets. Guyana need a few.
Ha ha …if am in market square and a
serious pee is problem…cheeky me
would pop into Parliament and ask
direction to loo …if refused will try
to take it out as a protest…
Once threatened a Lord Mayor in
Spain to do it in his office if he
did not listen to my request.
He called guardia civil to arrest
me …but explained that the mayor
refused my request…had a laugh
and left quietly.
Sometimes pretending lunacy gets
results. In Guyana madness accepted.
In EU its tolerated. Subtle difference !
Loved your suggestion !❤️
CORRECTION: As the late Boxing Champion Mohammed Ali used to say, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Which sportsman said “He can run, but he can’t hide”? asked Henry Mountford
This statement is usually attributed to Joe Louis, the boxer who ruled the heavyweight division between 1936 and 1948. He produced the line before his 1941 title fight with Billy Conn, the world light-heavyweight champion. Conn was obviously quite a bit lighter, but someone suggested that he might adopt a hit-and-run strategy, whereupon Louis produced his legendary reply – “He can run, but he can’t hide.” And the “Brown Bomber” was right: after 12 rounds, Conn was ahead on two of the three judges’ scorecards, but Louis caught up with him in the 13th and knocked him out.
Some sources date the quote to their 1946 rematch – the first heavyweight title fight televised live – but The Ring magazine is adamant that it was before the first bout.
Senior Don, you not easy, Bro! Next time you’re in Guyana, please spend a much longer time than you did on your last visit.
The “Brown Bomber” Joe Louis Vs. Billy Conn
Dear Mr Clyde Duncan; THANKS so much for the correction. Yes, there are many quotes which were later ‘high jacked’ by someone else.