Abandoned homes in a village where residents live in constant fear of the next criminal attack, were what a PNCR delegation encountered on Saturday when touring Strathspey, East Coast Demerara.
The delegation, which was led by PNCR Leader Robert Corbin, and comprised General Secretary Oscar Clarke, Central Executive member Clarissa Riehl, MP Stanley Ming and executive member Supriya Singh, met with residents, many of whom remained on edge amid an unrelenting wave of attacks by armed gangs.
The turnout by villagers to meet Corbin on his arrival was minuscule, with many residents remaining shut in their homes during the walkabout by the delegation.
Even as they were meeting with a family, the delegation received reports of an attack by three gunmen on a home, forcing an elderly woman and her young daughter to jump from their home to safety. (See other story on page 11.)
Corbin and the delegation met for nearly two and a half hours with residents, many of whom complained of not receiving water and electricity. Some said they had no access to any utilities, including potable water. As the delegation was touring the Strathspey New Housing Scheme, it saw a child bathing from a gutter which was cluttered with garbage.
Meanwhile, residents also related their concerns about criminals, citing numerous attacks which by their accounts continued on a daily basis. They also said policemen from the Vigilance Police Station were often unwilling to go into the area when summoned.
Many said they were frequently attacked and relieved of their possessions when just walking through the streets of the village. On the Embank-ment Road the delegation saw several homes they were told had been abandoned by residents who had fled the attacks. One man said he had been robbed twelve times over a three-month period by bandits who according to the villagers were not satisfied with robbing them on the road but also stripped their homes of building material, such as galvanised sheets. One man was even relieved of the door of his own house.
Corbin told them that nothing would be merely handed to them and it was necessary for them to be diligent and organised. He told them that if they came together, they could get help from non governmental organisations and similar groups.
Corbin also surveyed residents for their thoughts on a conference of villages - a proposed inter-village conference with either leaders or representatives of Annandale, Buxton, Vigilance and Strathspey to be held at a neutral venue - to look at problems affecting residents and the ways of dealing with them. He added that there had been a lot of suspicion among these troubled villages, but by working together they could tackle the issues, such as the crime problem. (Andre Haynes)