‘Pandemic of gangs’ in schools must be addressed-  President Ali

President Dr. Irfaan Ali has sounded the alarm on what he described as a “pandemic of gangs” infiltrating secondary schools across the region, urging immediate action to tackle the issue at its root.

Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Prison Service Annual Senior Corrections Officers Conference on Monday, Dr. Ali emphasized that interventions must reach schools, communities, and homes.

“We have to take the bull by the horns. We have to get in our secondary schools. We have a pandemic of gangs in the secondary schools across the region now… we have to get into those schools, into those communities, into those homes,” he said.

The President called for a coordinated effort involving religious groups, civil society, and community leaders to identify at-risk areas and vulnerable youth.

Highlighting the social factors contributing to crime, he noted that some children grow up in environments shaped by trauma, lack of positive role models, and the influence of gang leaders and drug lords.

“If crime is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour. If violence is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour,” he warned.

President Ali stressed that the priority in building secure communities must bbe to support youth through targeted reorientation and early interventions.

“This is not just about punishment; it is about prevention. Our first order of business in creating a secure country and community must be to avoid persons going down the wrong path,” he said.