Police patrol re-enters Buxton
- Some residents hurl abuse
Stabroek News
September 15, 2002
After more than six months of absence, the police yesterday braved hostility from residents of Friendship/Buxton to venture into the communities as efforts continue to intensify the joint patrols. Sources said the patrols were yesterday beefed up on the East Coast Demerara because of increased criminal activity.
Stabroek News yesterday observed five armed police ranks, kitted out in bullet- proof vests, standing among several soldiers on Brushe Dam, Friendship, while villagers taunted and threw insults in their faces.
The ranks remained unmoved as the villagers, mostly women, stood in front of them hurling abuse. At one stage, the policemen, encircled by about six soldiers, headed further south along Brushe Dam, with the noisy throng in tow.
They walked slowly for some time, then headed back to the railway embankment where there were other clusters of people keeping watch. Some residents claimed that the patrol had been spotted in the area at about 5:00 am yesterday and word had circulated that they intended to carry out searches for illegal weapons in the area.
But army sources yesterday denied that that was the intention of the patrol. This newspaper was told that the police's presence was simply a joint patrol being conducted together with the army.
A police press release yesterday said that members of the police section of the patrol had encountered about 50 "boisterous" residents, who had followed them around chanting derogatory remarks. "On two occasions," the statement continued, "residents pelted bricks, spoilt eggs and other objects at members of the patrol. No one was injured."
According to the release, the crowd increased in number to about 75 to 100 persons by midday, but had dwindled again to around 30 people by 4:00pm.
Ever since the April 6, killing of Buxtonian Shaka Blair, the police had not entered the communities of Buxton/Friendship.
During his weekly press conference last Tuesday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, in response to claims about the absence of the police in the "joint" patrols in the East Coast Demerara villages, had maintained that: "The security arrangements in Buxton are of a joint nature. Both the army and police are involved... I am advised and verily do believe that the army and police are mounting joint activities in that area... The army's presence there reflects the judgement of the Commissioner of Police that a situation exists, and is existing, for the military to be called out in support. The army and the police, under those circumstances, share the responsibilities and there is some delimitation of responsibilities..."
But Chairman of the Buxton/Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Mr Randolph Blair yesterday confirmed that the five police ranks were the first to revisit the area since April. He said the villagers' hostility was because they felt that the police's attitude towards them had not changed and that there would be a recurrence of the April incident and other acts they deemed as injustices.
"I think they [the police] need to be given a try [and] we would watch and see the conduct of the police. What the police are trying to do is build confidence and the officer in charge gave his commitment that they [the police] would not behave in any way to antagonise the residents," the community leader said.
A joint services release issued late yesterday said, "in wake of the heightened criminal activities within Georgetown, the East Coast and East Bank Demerara, the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force have intensified law enforcement activities in their fight against crime."
Further, the statement said, joint patrols have been mounted along the East Coast Demerara between the villages of Non Pariel and Lusignan, and along the East Bank, between the villages of Kuru Kururu and Agricola.
"These patrols are a demonstration of the cooperation and coordination that exist between the two sister Services and are intended to create a sense of security within the minds of the residents, as well as to build their confidence in members of the two forces... The Joint Army/Police Patrols will last for an indefinite period."