Residents feel not enough being done
Stabroek News
May 15, 2002
Last Saturday evening, six gun-toting bandits murdered Ramdeo and Mahadai Persaud at their 57 Peter Street, Annandale, East Coast Demerara, terrorising their children and carting off millions in cash and jewellery, in what has become a tragic trend in recent times. Prior to exiting the crime scene, the bandits also fired shots at a neighbouring residence in an obvious bid to scare off potential witnesses.
Stabroek News spoke with some residents of that community on Sunday in the aftermath of the tragedy. Still dazed with shock, one elderly resident related that she had known both of the murder victims as children and expressed her disbelief at their untimely and tragic demise.
"When dis thing [the ongoing spate of robberies] gon stop, ah tired wid it.
Every time yuh close yuh eye, yuh ain't know what next will happen," the elderly woman said.
Another resident opined that the government should rethink its approach to dealing with the rapidly escalating crime situation and employ new strategies.
"Is obvious that what they [the government] are doing right now is not working.
I think that something else has to be done," the outraged woman stated.
Meanwhile, other residents voiced the view that the ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) should join together with the members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and combine their expertise, in order to combat the situation which they felt was rapidly spiralling out of control.
Several persons also intimated a lack of confidence in the police with regard to providing adequate security for Guyanese as a whole while others felt that the GPF was doing its best under the current circumstances with available resources.
"It could have been me, I understand exactly how they [the children] must be feeling right now. And worse yet on the eve of Mother's Day," a young woman who resides a short distance from the Persauds tearfully remarked.
The police say that they are continuing investigations into the brutal double murder and the slain couple are expected to be buried today.
Among those left to mourn are three children, Rakesh, 16, who lost his biological mother (his father's first wife) some years ago, and Deoram and Devika, aged 13 and 11 years respectively, who were born to Kaloutie Persaud, Persaud's other wife.