WHEN POLICE STATIONS come under brazen attacks by armed criminals, it’s high time for ALL sections of this nation to denounce such a development in the strongest possible terms, and to pledge firm cooperation with the law enforcement agencies.

Such a healthy, mature response will be in the best interest of all citizens and visitors. On the other hand, failure to convey a sense of outrage could send a wrong message of disinterest to the detriment of the nation state itself.

Even in societies like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, affected by both sharp political divisions and the crime epidemic, governing and opposition parties have often shown their capacity to stand with the law enforcement agencies when criminals, armed with sophisticated weapons and communication equipment, launch their offensive against them.

Here in Guyana, where criminality has found comfort in a political culture spawned by those who have made “heroes” of even armed bandits, some known to have murdered or maimed ranks of the police force and army, there was a disturbing silence up to yesterday by the political opposition to the drive-by shooting on Thursday at the East La Penitence Police Station.

That display of invited confrontation with the police by a well-connected criminal network, has recalled a similar offensive outside Police Headquarters in Eve Leary at the time of the horrific Lusignan massacre–a nightmare tragedy later to be repeated at Bartica.

Yesterday, metal barricades were still in place in front of even the central police station on Brickdam, but only the government had found it necessary to send a strong message to the criminal enterprise that seeks to endanger our national security.

Dr Roger Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, has sent a warning to the armed criminals that they were “doomed to failure” if they really think they could sap the will of the Joint Services and the Disciplined Services.

As he told a post-cabinet media briefing last week, the latest drive-by shooting attack on a police station was “all part of efforts to undermine the Joint Services (police and army)…”. The criminal enterprise will however, he feels, discover how firm is the resolve of the Joint Services to ensure the triumph of the rule of law.

It is good to know that there IS this commitment by our Joint Services. Their resolve against the criminal networks can be better enabled by public expressions of support from all political parties and civil society organisations. This is a time to take a stand in favour of the rule of law and against those playing with fire in targeting police stations.

We are waiting to hear from the private sector and labour movement, while the political opposition indulge in its classic double-speak of lamenting criminal activities but never anxious to boost the morale of the Joint Services in going after the gunmen posing serious threats to the rule of law.