Police Commissioner warns against vigilante justice

Persaud said citizens must allow police to do their work in bringing perpetrations of criminal activities to justice and not take the law into their own hands.

Police Commissioner warns against vigilante justice

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has disclosed that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) intends to prosecute citizens involved in any form of vigilante justice. His statement is in response to the beating death of a murder accused last week by citizens.

Persaud said citizens must allow the police to do their work in bringing perpetrators of criminal activity to justice and not take the law into their own hands.

He told News Source that while citizens have a right to defend themselves and property from criminals, they must ensure that no attempt is made unnecessarily to serve justice without the police.

The Police Commissioner disclosed that investigators were moving aggressively to arrest the persons involved in these acts and have them prosecuted.

On Friday night, the main suspect in the stabbing and chopping death of vendor Janice Paul was beaten to death by a group of vigilantes.

Persuad said the man, Jerry Dalrymple was arrested by these persons and taken close to where he committed the crime and beaten mercilessly before being handed over to police.

A man was detained in connection with this incident but was later released.

The Police Commissioner recalled that a few years ago a similar incident had occurred in the Sophia area but promised that the police will do its best to collect evidence in these cases and the perpetrators before the Court.  

Some citizens have expressed little confidence in the police’s ability to prosecute perpetrators of violent and other crimes.

Also on Sunday last, a Senior Superintendent of Police saved two bandits from a sound trashing after they robbed and stabbed a miner.

The two men were chased down along the West Coast Demerara public road by residents who witnessed the crime.

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