Increased patrols and blocking of bridges make Annandale safer, say residents
Stabroek News
March 17, 2003
Criminal activities along the East Coast, especially at Annandale and the villages contiguous to Buxton/Friendship have decreased considerably, and residents have credited this to the increase in army patrols and the blocking of bridges.
Two Saturdays ago the presence of an army patrol at Vigilance East Coast Demerara helped save residents from being robbed.
Since the new year began the army has been undertaking more patrols than previously, and military personnel have been stationed at strategic points around the villages of Annandale and Vigilance.
Stabroek News was told that two Saturdays ago at about 7:30pm a gang of about seven young men had already crossed over from Buxton to Vigilance apparently with a view to committing crimes, but on catching sight of an army patrol in the area, turned back. According to one resident, she was sitting on her verandah when she saw the men. “I was just taking some breeze when I saw the crew coming, so I gat up and was going in my house.”
The woman said while she was going inside, she continued to keep her eyes on the men. “When I reach me verandah door I take off me front lights and start to peep, but when they get close to a cross street in Vigilance, they turn back.”
Stabroek News had observed an army patrol stationed on the street, and according to the woman the soldiers were in exactly the same position on the Saturday night when the men were approaching. She noted that from all indications, the army did not see the men, since there was no movement from them.
Another resident who had been informed about the incident told this newspaper that many persons were unaware of the army presence in the area, because of the position the ranks had taken up. However, another villager observed that this represented good security tactics.
As it is, the communities of Annandale, Vigilance, Strasthpey and Non Pariel have seen little or no criminal activity for the past three weeks, although Buxton remains a troubled area. When Stabroek News visited the East Coast yesterday increased army and police patrols along the public road were in evidence.
Residents from Vigilance as well agreed that there had been a slowing down of criminal activities, which according to them came in the wake of the government’s move to block the two bridges which separated Buxton from Vigilance and Buxton from Annandale. However, the shopowners are still operating with caution, carrying on their business behind closed gates. The storekeepers of Annandale in particular, who have suffered badly at the hands of bandits, have only been selling through their wrought-iron gates since February.
In the case of Strathspey, several residents who lived on the embankment, had abandoned their homes and fled elsewhere.
When Stabroek News visited yesterday, these houses had not been reoccupied. Some of them were boarded up, and others were sealed with galvanised zinc sheets.
Meanwhile, a businessman of Annandale told this newspaper that while he was very happy about the reduction in crime, he was still not convinced that enough was being done to bring a halt to it.
He observed that there were still young men who from time to time would pass through the village on bicycles and threaten residents. “We are all hoping that thing would stop very soon, but somebody would have to go and talk to these people of Buxton,” the businessman said.
