In this week's `What the people say', residents of Sophia, Georgetown share their views on crime and life in general in this squatters' landscape.

Ryan Juan - self-employed: 'The idea of a police station in Sophia is great... but setting up a full-fledged police station within a year at Sophia? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime however, Sophia needs more than on and off patrols in the area. Sophia is developing but criminals are hampering its development. The fact is that, we in Sophia are hard working people, pioneers in our own right, and those committing the crimes are not from Sophia. The crime rate is already high and people cannot concentrate on development with the threat to loss of property and life. In the absence of a police station there should be some permanent police presence in the interim. You call for the police and they tell you that they have no transportation. Those of us trying to build ourselves cannot feel secure because of the threat of heavily armed bandits.'

Shelieda Toney - housewife: 'Apart from the high incidence of crime, Sophia's development is still being stifled because of the absence of electricity, access roads, telephones and other services including the inadequate supply of potable water. Some people do have cell phones but not everyone and they are not always functioning for one reason or another. If access roads (short cuts) could be developed that would help with the crime situation. As it is, the bandits use the short cuts to make their escape. At least the road at Turning Point has been partially developed and that is a plus but it goes just a short distance to the south. Beyond that, during the rainy season people have to plough through mud to get to their homes. Because of the lack of access roads especially during the rainy season we find many children not going to school. A primary school is currently being built in the area but Sophia will also need a nursery school as well as a secondary school because of the distance children have to travel right now to get a good education. The municipality could also think about setting up a day-care centre here.'

Indra Dhanraj - drinks and snacks vendor: 'For the years I have been around here I have seen some development and I know that more will take place. But the immediate needs are lights and security. To me both are important but security is more important. I am convinced that the people in Sophia want to live in peace and harmony and the crimes being committed in the area are not being carried out by residents. Residents themselves are scared of the crime situation. Apart from that Sophia is a nice place with potential for a lot of development. There is need for a playground where people can play cricket, football and other games and residents can just go and relax and support their home side. Actually the weekends at Turning Point are bright as many people gather here. Turning Point is the hub in Sophia. On a school day, during the rainy season many children walk with their clothes and change here to go to school and to go back home in the afternoons.'

Donald Chow Yen: - 'My family and friends have suffered the loss of loved ones and property at the hands of bandits in Sophia. We have been among the first set of people to settle here. The site identified for a police station in my opinion is not central. The station should be centrally located. It should be between `A' and `B' Fields and not in `D' Field which is far away. The issue of electricity, or rather lights is a serious one. Some people just come here and get electricity. A transformer has been put up just to serve that resident. Does this mean that if you have money then and only then will GPL [Guyana Power and Light Inc] look after you? We have told GPL that we are willing to work along with them to get lights but they must give us an estimate. They have told us that a transformer can service 400 houses if they can give us an estimate we are prepared to do some self-help. As a matter of fact we have formed a committee which has forwarded the proposal to GPL. We are awaiting word from the power company.'

Marcel Blackman: - 'Sophia has come a far way from the time people began to clear land, plant and build their homes. But many housing schemes have been set up long after Sophia came into being. Other squatting areas have been regularised and given basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity and running water in every home and Sophia needs all of them and a police station or permanent police presence now. Apart from the crime issue Sophia needs several playfields. There is plenty of land in the area but some designated for playgrounds are being taken up by squatters and the authorities are doing nothing about this. You will see them four and a half years from now when elections are due again. They do not take the time and walk around and meet people like [former president] Forbes Burnham did.'

Nimrod Ramsammy: - 'Among the more important things needed in this area are lights, roads and activities for young people. As a matter of fact recreational activities are needed for both young and old but more particularly for the young who could stray and get involved in illegal activities like drug abuse and teenage pregnancy. Right now there are a lot of children coming out of school who have nothing to do. Some activities could be organised for them to learn some trade or do some things that are beneficial to them. Sophia could do with visits from youth and sports officers from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Talents abound here but some investments have to be made. There are no youth clubs and even if activities are organised on an ad hoc basis the organisers get good support. What is needed is sustained activities. we also need a nursery school in Sophia. There is a private nursery school and day?care centre here but only those who can afford it send their children. Most of us take our children to schools in town and transportation is expensive.'

Ramkarran Budhu: - 'More than anything else, I think that security is the main concern in Sophia. My daughter-in-law died a few days ago at the hands of bandits. It is discouraging trying to build yourself and someone else tries to reap the benefits. I can't remember, but it was about a year ago that the police said they were going to put down a police outpost at `D' Field. That police outpost is still to be built. Now they say they are going to build a police station. When will we get that? We don't need a police station next year, we need it now. We need to see police in the area day and night.'

Rawle Burgess - cycle repairman: - 'I like living in Sophia because you feel a sense of achievement building from scratch. It is challenging. Though we have seen some development, there is much more that needs to be done. Work on the road from Turning Point, for example, needs to be continued as many people still plough their way through mud during the rainy season to get to and from home. The road should extend to the Lamaha Canal. We need water in our homes as well and are willing to dig trenches to lay the pipelines. For our own benefit many of us are willing to do self-help but technical assistance must be provided. Because of the lack of electricity, people right now cannot take a drink and relax immediately after work because they have to try to get home early and make use of the two daylight hours before night steps in. The other problem is one of actually holding on to the turf on which you live. Time and again many persons find themselves being forced off their lands or having to fight for their land all because the housing authority keeps on giving out lands they would have already allocated.'

Lakhan: - 'As far as I am concerned Sophia has become a very dangerous place to live in. For this year alone bandits killed four persons, injured and traumatised many others for the year. This is too much for one community. We need a community policing group armed with guns. We cannot police with sticks and cutlasses. Many nights many of us don't sleep and we see cars with search lights. Some of these make us suspicious of who the occupants are. When we call the police they are not responding.'

Ricardo Jones - secondary student: 'A lot of advantage is being taken of young people in Sophia by the authorities. For example we do not enjoy the privileges of studying using electricity. When we have to compete assignments and study for examinations we are forced to do so using kerosene lamps and many of us have to go in town at relatives and friends to study or sleep over. This is not always convenient. My understanding is that many people are willing to work together to put down utility poles and to buy transformers but I don't know what is happening. The road in Sophia is only built up to a certain place and schoolchildren find themselves at a disadvantage. If they fall in the mud they have to return home. There is no way they would be able to get to school on time after that.'

Brijlall: - 'Bandits did a lot of damage at my home that months later we have not yet returned home. We have had to relocate for the time being. The bandits broke my wife's hand, burst my son's head, and stripped my daughter-in-law naked. Then they held a gun to my little granddaughter's head and took off her gold earrings. We want police security in Sophia immediately. We are poor people trying to bring ourselves out of poverty. We had to squat on the lands and we started from nothing. I think we deserve to be treated better. '