| … although incidents occur three minutes away In spite of the fact that the Ruimveldt Police Station is approximately less than three minutes away from Middle Road and Fourth Street, LaPenitence area, the “bike gangs” continues to wreak havoc.Within recent times, residents of the area claimed they have made several reports at the Ruimveldt Police Station about the bike gangs, but the police seem unable to arrest the problem.The La Penitence residents are not sure who these young men are, or even where they reside but these young men use cunning plots to steal.As one the elders of the community explained, “These thieves get smart. Long ago they use to walk up behind you and rob you with something like a cutlass or knife or gun or so . And if you lucky, sometimes you spot them waiting in the shadows and you would get a chance to run. But now these people get so sly, it scary.”Residents related that for days on end, “ snatchings would take place in the area and when reported, the police would just take the statements and that is it; they done wid you. There is no follow up, or any patrol by the police. No nothing.”Three of the residents detailed their tragic encounters with the members of the formidable “bike gangs.”One of the residents of Fourth Street, La Penitence, related that her daughter was robbed right before her eyes and though she screamed for help and a report was made at the said station , nothing was done to date nor were the stolen items recovered.The woman said, “Three weeks ago, I remember my daughter went out to a party. So she call me around 9 o’ clock de night and told me she on she way home. So I sit outside and I was talking with my other neighbour about the same bicycle thieves.“Then I saw my daughter walking through the street and all of a sudden I see these two boys pull up next to she on a motor bike and one of them throw he hand round she. I seh to me self that ain’t we family and I know it can’t be she boyfriend either cuz she was dating two guys at the time. So I got worried. Next thing you know before I coulda do anything the man snatch she chain and pull she Blackberry out she hand and they ride off.“This thing happen so quick I didn’t even get time fo go out and run behind them. So we went to the station and made a report and all they do was tek we statements and that was the end of it . My daughter valuables gone down the drain.”Another resident said that one day he too was also caught in the dreadful clutches of “bike gang.” He told Kaieteur News that on his way home from his girlfriend he was attacked by the duo. Upon being subdued, he was relieved of his cell phone, money and jewellery.“One evening, I was returning to my home in Fourth Street. As I approached the junction that intersects Middle Road and my corner, I noticed two young men ride past me in a speed.“I noticed that one of them stopped at the end of my corner as another rode back in my direction.”“I became nervous and instantly suspicious. I began to search for a wood on the road. Before I was able to arm myself with a weapon for possible self defense, I was attacked by a stocky guy from behind who choked me with so much force that I was unable to wriggle out of the position.“Whilst I was being chocked the other guy removed my cell phone, watch, gold chain, bracelet and wallet and then threw me into the gutter. I got out of the gutter, went to the station in my exact condition and reported the matter. The police there showed total disregard for my situation and were even reluctant to do a quick patrol to see if the guys were probably still lingering around the neighbourhood. “After much insisting, they took me on to the police vehicle and we patrolled the area for a few minutes. And that was the end of my matter.”There is also the testimony of a businesswoman who resides on Middle Road. She related that in this case, she was followed by one of the gang members from her place of work to the time she was in the street.She told Kaieteur news that the incident occurred around 20:00 hours that night. She had received a large sum of money that evening and on her way through the street, the young man who was lurking around her business earlier that day rode past her on a bicycle.She said, “I was walking through the street; then when I meet half way, I notice this man stop and like he was going to ride into me, he then jump off the bike and I freeze up and then he took a knife and stick me up at one of my neighbour’s bridge.“I holler for help but no one came to my rescue. He took my money and jewellery worth approximately $400,000 and left me on the bridge. I was in total shock. I got up, walked to my house that was just a corner away from where the incident took place and I got my family to follow me to report the matter.“The police like they didn’t even care about what I had to say. When they took the report all they said was all right they gon run an investigation on the matter and that was it. I haven’t heard about any follow up with regard to my matter.”Residents said that as recent as last week, a young lady that was not even a resident of the area, whilst visiting her family, was attacked and robbed of her money and Blackberry phone.It is beyond the comprehension of the residents that the police, who are endowed with the responsibility to protect and serve and are within proximity, treat the matters with such a nonchalant disposition and are “not doing anything, not even as much as a patrol once every week to at least drive the gangs away.”Residents live in fear not knowing who the next victim will be and are urging the officers of the Ruimveldt Police Station to take the matters into serious consideration and “at least serve the purpose of instilling some sort of security as they are paid to do.”Though some residents believe that even these pleas may go unheard, one resident implores that “the police should not wait until someone is murdered then to take the bulls by the horns.Instead of having the bull (the bike gangs ) masquerade throughout our community and constantly instil,Wholesale NFL Jerseys,” he humbly requests that the unfailing , prompt and hard-working officers of the Ruimveldt Police Station conduct frequent patrols so that this growing cancerous problem can at least be controlled, if not cured. |
