The President, in an interview over the weekend with the Government Information Agency (GINA), pointed out that Government has made several efforts to address the spiraling crime situation in Guyana and to this end has given all it could in terms of policies, resources and morale support to the Law Enforcement Agencies.

Unfortunately, these efforts have not always yielded positive results, Mr. Jagdeo said.

He, however, asserted that “we have the capacity in the Police and Army to do so (but) I am very unhappy that it is not being done”.

He also expressed concern that because of a lack of information on gross inaccuracies in the media, people are of the view that the Government is not dealing with the crime situation as a priority.

Responding to rumours that he had requested that the Army and Police “hold back” on fighting crime, especially on the Buxton situation, President Jagdeo said this is far from the truth.

“I’ve made my orders clear. It’s either that these orders are not handed down or some people on the ground are involved in things they should not be involved in,” the Guyanese Head of State posited.

“If a crime is being committed and a soldier says he does not have orders, that’s wrong; he should not be in the Army.”

“I’ve made it clear what I wanted…to clean out the situation in Buxton,” President Jagdeo said.

According to him, he has passed on directions to this effect to the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Ronald Gajraj, the Commissioner of Police (ag), Mr. Floyd McDonald and the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Michael Atherly.

“The Government can only give material or moral support - we do not go out with guns to fight the situation, that’s the role of the Police…and now the Army has gotten involved,” Mr. Jagdeo stated.

The President expressed optimism that the presence of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will shed some positive light on the situation. He disclosed that since the escalated crime wave last year, the FBI was approached for help, but had referred the Guyana Government to private investigating agencies in the US.