Thursday, July 17, 2008

After Tuesday night encounters…

Greene confident of taking Buxton gang apart


ACTING Police Commissioner Henry Greene said yesterday he is confident the fight against criminal elements will continue until the ‘Buxton gang’ is taken apart.

He was asked by the media about the Tuesday night encounter between security forces and two sets of criminals.

Greene said members of the Joint Services first engaged a group of gunmen, believed to be part of the Buxton gang, at North Ruimveldt backlands in Georgetown, where a fierce battle ensued.

He said they were in receipt of information that wanted fugitive Jermaine Charles alias ‘Skinny’ was in the area and they acted.

Greene said the nature of the Tuesday night engagement suggested that they were dealing with members of the Buxton gang, as high-powered weapons were used to confront the ranks.

“In recent times, ranks encountered that gang but no policeman or member of the Army was injured and no arrests were made in relation to the shootout,” he reported.

Greene said the other Tuesday confrontation took place behind Eccles, somewhere near Bagotstown, also on East Bank Demerara, sometime after midnight.

On that occasion, members of the Joint Services, initially, went on an operation when information of ‘Skinny’ circulated.

He said the hunt for Rondell Rawlins alias ‘Fine Man’ is ongoing and a suspect is in Police custody assisting with investigations into the Christmas Falls, Berbice River encounter in June.

Greene said the file is with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and, after its return, action will be taken by the Police against the suspect.

Greene disclosed that, this year, the Police have already interdicted a large number of the Buxton gang, many of whom are behind prison bars and some are elsewhere.

“I am confident that we are taking that gang apart bit by bit and will put that gang away from society and we are calling on all civic-minded Guyanese to join with us in the fight against crime,” he told reporters after the 169th anniversary awards ceremony.

Greene also appealed to members of the public to assist the Police in capturing criminal elements who are plaguing the society.

About the incident involving Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys, he said that file, too, is awaiting advice from the DPP and the condition of the injured policeman is being monitored.

In wake of Charles’ escape from Sparendaam Police Station lock-ups last month, investigations are continuing and the DPP is yet to decide on the prisoner, Edwin Niles, who succumbed after recent allegations of torture in the Camp Street jail, Greene said.

Meanwhile, a Police press release said yesterday that a post mortem examination performed on the body of Niles by pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh gave the cause of death as blood clot in the lungs, due to burns about the back and a fractured left arm.

Niles died at Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) on Friday, July 11, while receiving medical treatment. (Michel Outridge)

Reference Source

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Dealing with manpower shortage…

Police Force awards 1,243 ranks for exceptional work

By Michel Outridge
Thursday, July 17, 2008

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday awarded one-third of its ranks, 62 Community Policing Groups and 49 CPG members.

At the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) Eve Leary Drill Square, Georgetown ceremony, 1,243 policemen and policewomen got cash incentives and the other awardees received certificates, the cops for exceptional work over the past six months.

Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene expressed his gratitude to those rewarded and said they performed well.

He pointed out that, in the past 18 years, the GPF paid out $121M in awards and significantly, at year end, the policeman, sportsman and sports personality of the year are included.

Greene said, previously the GPF gave additional awards to a Divisional Best Cop chosen from all divisions but, this time, the recipients were selected by Divisional Commanders.

He explained that there are criteria for the awarding but the GPF would also look at those who have done special work, such as interdiction of drugs and firearms, very good intelligence gathering, investigation and in special operations.

Greene said awarded, as well, are those who have done over and above of what was expected of them as normal Police ranks and that is what distinguishes them for additional sums of money in grade A, B and C categories.

The top cop recognised the efforts of former Commissioner Laurie Lewis who started the awards scheme which the GPF continues to embrace, because it is vital to give recognition to others, too, among them CPGs.

Greene used the occasion to call on all civic-minded persons to join the Force as it is dealing with a significant manpower shortage.

Noting the Force’s 169th anniversary, he said the difficulty lies in the ability to attract and maintain members within.

“…if you have adult children who would like to become members of the force, we call on you to make them available to us,” Greene appealed.

He told the gathering the GPF needs persons to join the support structure against criminal elements and provide security for members of the public and the country.

Greene said the personnel shortage has existed for quite some time and, ever so often, people do not realise their contribution to the country by joining the force.

He spoke of the different sections of the GPF and encouraged young people to become members.

Greene revealed that the GPF sent an unprecedented 25 persons to register for the Guyana Defence Force Cadet Officers Course and, so far, 23 of them are still participating in the programme and should graduate as Police Cadet Officers.

He said the GPF is still a very strongly knit organisation, even though it may not appear so from the outside but it is moving on and has managed to survive for the past 169 years.

Meanwhile, in welcome remarks, Deputy Commissioner (Administration) Cecil Bovell said the event is all about highlighting Police ranks who did good work for the force.

He said the function is to recognise the ranks who did outstanding work and showed commitment to law and order and others who lend a helping hand.

Bovell said the awardees were shortlisted and picked from a small group to let them know that their work did not go unnoticed.

The reward is in no way the measure of what was done and the certificate and cash incentive are tokens of appreciation, he stated

Reference Source

It will take an Indian Gurkha to take the Buxton gang apart.. Greene is mouthing off because he wants to become the pernmanent COP.

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:
It will take an Indian Gurkha to take the Buxton gang apart.. Greene is mouthing off because he wants to become the pernmanent COP.

The real gang and criminals are Jagdeo and the PPP Gov't. The People need to get rid of them and crimes will be solved!

quote:

Originally posted by Lion King:

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:
It will take an Indian Gurkha to take the Buxton gang apart.. Greene is mouthing off because he wants to become the pernmanent COP.

The real gang and criminals are Jagdeo and the PPP Gov't. The People need to get rid of them and crimes will be solved!

So start paying your protection money.

Who is your next of kin?..

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:

quote:

Originally posted by Lion King:

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:
It will take an Indian Gurkha to take the Buxton gang apart.. Greene is mouthing off because he wants to become the pernmanent COP.

The real gang and criminals are Jagdeo and the PPP Gov't. The People need to get rid of them and crimes will be solved!

So start paying your protection money.

Who is your next of kin?..

My protection money is payed to the I. R. S.

When he takesthe Buxton gang apart will he remember that there is rampant criminality whch has nothing to do with Buxton.

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

When he takesthe Buxton gang apart will he remember that there is rampant criminality whch has nothing to do with Buxton.

What are your thoughts/expectations?

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:
It will take an Indian Gurkha to take the Buxton gang apart.. Greene is mouthing off because he wants to become the pernmanent COP.

Green, a C-grade Hollywood actor in Guyana's politics, can only utter rhetorical remarks, like, "We've got them cornered!" Or, "We'll catch them!" Or, "We're gonna take the gang apart!" The reason is, the real Police Commissoner, Bharrat Jagdeo, has already made it clear that this fight with criminals is POLITICAL and not CRIMINAL, and that the solution is therefore POLITICAL and not LEGAL/JUDICIAL!

Jagdeo's approach is to try and see if he can beat the criminals at their game of gun force so he can send a message that he beat the politically inspired criminal elements, hence, he has beaten the PNC at its game.

Problem is, this game has been going on for almost ten years with no end in sight, and the real losers are those dead Guyanese whose surviving relatives still seek justice and closure.

How can Green take the gang apart when he can't even keep Skinny in lock down? Now he and his cohorts are saying Skinny and Fineman had planned to meet at some place where there was an eventual shootout and no one was caught.

A nation of 700,000 people with a security focre of 6,000 and yet a handful of gun-toting criminal elements that keep evolving is wreaking havoc for the past decade. Where is the changing strategy from the authorities? There is none. The only strategy the authorities have is the corrupt and inept few are satisfied and secured.

quote:

Originally posted by Demerara_Guy:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by caribj:

]

What are your thoughts/expectations?

My expectations are that there will be a wholistic attack on crime based on a realisation that it doesnt begin or end with Fine Man and Buxton. There are daily reports of criminal acts, and I am sure many other unreported acts.

quote:

Originally posted by Communicator:

A nation of 700,000 people with a security focre of 6,000 and yet a handful of gun-toting criminal elements that keep evolving is wreaking havoc for the past decade. .

Because it isnt a handful. This is the distorted logic of those who pretend that crime in Guyana is limited to Buxton gangs.

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

quote:

Originally posted by Demerara_Guy:

What are your thoughts/expectations?

My expectations are that there will be a wholistic attack on crime based on a realisation that it doesnt begin or end with Fine Man and Buxton. There are daily reports of criminal acts, and I am sure many other unreported acts.

How can unreported acts be successfully addressed?

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

My expectations are that there will be a wholistic attack on crime based on a realisation that it doesnt begin or end with Fine Man and Buxton. There are daily reports of criminal acts, and I am sure many other unreported acts.

Perhaps the notion of non "realisation" exists elsewhere.

DG, Bhai nah waste time and energy with Nincompoops!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Demerara_Guy:

quote:

Originally posted by caribj:

quote:

Originally posted by Demerara_Guy:

What are your thoughts/expectations?

My expectations are that there will be a wholistic attack on crime based on a realisation that it doesnt begin or end with Fine Man and Buxton. There are daily reports of criminal acts, and I am sure many other unreported acts.

How can unreported acts be successfully addressed?

When a population has no faith in the police they dont report crimes. Give people a sense that their reports will be dealt with and more will report.

Any way based on what is reported in the papers its clear that Guyana has a crisis of crime which is much larger than FineMan.

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:
It will take an Indian Gurkha to take the Buxton gang apart.. Greene is mouthing off because he wants to become the pernmanent COP.

They need a small well trained "fedayeen" group to do those special jobs. When things are normal, they should be embedded in the regular forces as stiffeners and for gathering internal intelligence. However, Jag is too spineless and ballsless to take the tough choices. He will find an excuse for not doing it.

quote:

Originally posted by baseman:

quote:

Originally posted by Ramakant_p:
It will take an Indian Gurkha to take the Buxton gang apart.. Greene is mouthing off because he wants to become the pernmanent COP.

They need a small well trained "fedayeen" group to do those special jobs. When things are normal, they should be embedded in the regular forces as stiffeners and for gathering internal intelligence. However, Jag is too spineless and ballsless to take the tough choices. He will find an excuse for not doing it.

Baseman,

Assuming you are a non-security person and a non-politician, (i.e. if you're not Ronald Gajraj), tell me how you can arrive at this conclusion of what is needed in the security forces, yet you cannot see WHY Jagdeo is too spineless and ballsless?

Don't you think Jagdeo and the PPP are milking this criminal situation for purely partisan reasons? Don't you think they want to always have crime and the PNC as their boogey men to pull Indians around the PPP at elections time? Ergo, that if they got rid of crimes and the PNC goes real docile, that the PPP still does not have an effective socioeconomic agenda for turning Guyana around?

I have always held the view that it is a deliberate strategy to keep Guyana on a snail's pace socioeconomic growth to ensure the PPP has absolute control over everything. Every major undertaking gets closely vetted to ensure it is not a potential threat to the PPP. There is great fear in the PPP that if businesses were to develop outside its control and influence, such businesses could produce mavericks, like Yesu Persaud, who could lead movements and parties against the inept and corrupt PPP.