Benn urges Police to address crime in Stabroek market area

Despite an overall decrease in serious crime nationwide, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn has called on the Police to address the escalating crime situation in and around the Stabroek market area.

“If you don’t look like me, you could be robbed, assaulted, and even killed in the environment around Stabroek Market,” Benn stated on Tuesday.

Then, he pointed to the open use of marijuana: “If I walk through the front gate, I could get an instant high.”

He was then direct in his message to the Police working the area: “You must take hold of the situation.”

Stabroek Market, the largest market in Georgetown, is considered a crime hotspot in the city. The usually congested area is prone to robberies, with pockets being picked and bags snatched. In some instances, individuals have been stabbed and shot.

Speaking at the Guyana Police Force’s 185th-anniversary symposium, Benn acknowledged improvements in law enforcement, with new assets being acquired and infrastructure enhanced. However, he highlighted a significant challenge: the quality of policing.

“We have abandoned foot patrols, we have abandoned the dog walking through the Stabroek Market area,” Benn remarked.

“The core issue is at the level of the quality of policing, not the quantity in terms of how many police are out there.”

Benn also pointed out other challenges faced by the Police, including the fight against transnational crime, cybercrime, and money laundering.

“We must take hold of issues relating to crime and violence and the factors that allow for crime and violence. It cannot continue,” Benn asserted.