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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday July 15, 2015
Private Sector asks for duty-free CCTV cameras --to bolster fight against crime
By Tajeram Mohabir THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) is requesting that Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras be imported into Guyana duty-free to bolster the fight against crime and criminal activities. The request was put to National Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan by members of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) during a meeting on Monday. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle after the ‘productive engagement’, PSC Chairman Norman McLean said the proposal received the full support of the Minister. Minister Ramjattan has been battling to beat back an upsurge in crime of late. Mclean said the use of CCTV is a vital tool in terms of identifying criminals at the crime scene, and advocated that their placement, particularly in commercial areas, should be widespread. He however pointed out that the footage produced from many of the existing cameras has not been of good quality. McLean noted the need for more cameras in commercial areas, but those that produce better quality footage, to better aid in the
PSC Chairman, Mr Norman McLean fight against crime. It was on this basis that the PSC requested that the government grant permission for the cameras to be imported here duty-free. The PSC is also urging that the Integrated Crime System which helps the police to identify crime hotspots and carry out targeted operations be fully implemented. Also present at the meeting was Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud. It was noted that key to fighting crime was improving the manpower of the Guyana Police Force. Mclean report-
ed that much work needs to be done in this regard, as the Force is short of staff by some 1500, even though it trains some 600 persons annually. Manpower aside, the Guyana Police Force reportedly loses about 5 per cent of its workforce annually to enticement of better paying jobs and retirement among other factors. ACCELERATE TRAINING The PSC Chairman told this publication that the Commission would like to encourage the ac-
Trinidad tourism taking a beating
Minister of National Security, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan celeration of training of persons wanting to join the Force, and that strong attention continues to be placed on quality delivery of service. And on service, while the Police Force has been criticised for the inefficient operation of the 911 system, McLean pointed out that about 90 per cent of the calls placed on the number are hoax calls. Efforts to address this problem have hit a snag. Mclean told the Guyana Chronicle that a recommendation was made to identify the hoax callers and have them charged but the Guy-
ana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and Digicel have not been cooperating. Members of the PSC also mentioned the need for consumers to utilise more the plastic card and avoid having large sums of cash on their person. Implementation of this system will require some work but it will provide a greater sense of security for consumers. The PSC also noted the importance of security audits of business to reduce their vulnerability to crime, and expressed unease about the number of gun crimes
recently. McLean told the Guyana Chronicle that the Private Sector Commission welcomes the decision by Minister Ramjattan to grant amnesty to persons with illegal guns, to hand those weapons over to the authorities. Those who do not, he said, the Government needs to move aggressively to arrest and have them placed before the court. With an increase in crime, the Administration has responded, outlining a five-prong approach to identify the source and break the back of criminal activities in the country. Minister of State Joseph Harmon said the strategy entails the police identifying criminal activities in Guyana’s 10 Administrative Regions, determining where these acts are committed, and deciding on a national response strategy; placing greater focus on police organisation and training; adopting a zero-tolerance approach on the use of illegal firearms; providing the police with the wherewithal to go after criminal activities where ever they occur; and improving communication in the Police Force, utilising the Internet and access to CCTV cameras across the country.
--from seaweed intrusion By Sandhya Santoo
THE sargassum seaweed which has been smothering east coast beaches for months, is negatively impacting the tourist sector both locally and internationally. This is according to the Chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation Terry Rondon. Rondon said that the seaweed is still posing a problem to the Corporation as clean-up continues, but “the impact on places like Mathura and Gran Riviere is big.” He said that the smell of the decomposing seaweed has become a nuisance to many, and is turning beach-goers away from enjoying their time in the area. Also affected are those coming to see the leatherback turtles nesting on the beaches. Rondon said that the turtle nesting sites are being affected, since the seaweed is posing a risk to the nesting turtles and their hatchlings. Manager at D Coconut Cove Holiday and Beach Resort in Manzanilla, Anderson Bartholomew said that their clientele has decreased as a result of the influx of seaweed in recent months. He said that the smell of the rotting aquatic plant was unbearable, but is not as bad as three months ago when the seaweed invasion began.
A visitor to a cove near the Toco lighthouse surveys the seaweed smothering the coastline (Photo courtesy Richard Charan)
Queen’s Beach Hotel and Holiday Resort Limited administrator Safiya Worrell said that the seaweed influx has not affected the established since there is a fixed number of patrons coming. Rondon also said that many persons have expressed their interest and has asked the corporation for the seaweed which he said is being used for agricultural purposes. Rondon is making another appeal for assistance in clearing the mounds of seaweed along Manzanilla which he said is still heavily concentrated with the brown algae. The seaweed mounds is not only affecting Trinidad and Tobago but also the wider Caribbean. A letter of apology to visitors the Express obtained from the Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa was handed out to guests explaining the seaweed situation and what is being done to combat the problem. (Trinidad Express)