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By Michael JordanTwo gunmen chase a young man into his girlfriend’s house and then rob and rape the girlfriend’s sister on a desolate roadway. A female soldier on her way home is attacked by men in a taxi who snatch her bag and other valuables.A four-year-old boy is lured into a house by members of a juvenile gang and sexually assaulted.These are some of the horror stories that are becoming all too common in Sophia, Greater Georgetown, where young and armed criminals are forcing law-abiding residents to impose a curfew of sorts on themselves.Some residents say that the community of mainly underprivileged families is experiencing an upsurge in crime,Adrian Aldrete Mexico Jersey, from burglaries to rape to attacks by brazen, gun-toting youths. It has become so bad that last Friday, community leader Ms. Doris Shelto held an emergency meeting with several young females to warn themA section of B Field, Sophiato curtail walking at night.“I told them that they shouldn’t come out of their homes at night until we understand what is going on in our community,” said Shelto, who is the founder of the Sophia Sparkle Youth Group and the Sophia Action Group.“I plan to talk to the mothers, also. It’s getting really tough. Most of the robberies happen when people are coming into the area. They (the bandits) don’t care if you are male or female, they are taking what you got. The past couple of weeks it has been getting more prevalent.”Ms. Shelto’s concern was triggered by two recent attacks on young women in ‘A’ and ‘B’ Field, Sophia.ROBBED AND RAPEDOne of the victims said that her boyfriend was visiting her around 05:00 hrs on Friday, when two men accosted him some ten doors from her home.The boyfriend immediately ran to his girlfriend’s residence.“I heard him rapping and he said that some men were chasing him,” the woman recalled.But before she could open the door, the men, aged between 18 and 23, had cornered her boyfriend and thrown him to the ground.“I tried to close the door and one of them fired off a shot.”The resident said she then picked up a knife to defend herself,Gary Medel Chile Jersey, but the robber pressed his gun to her head and threatened to shoot. The bandits then entered the woman’s house and ordered her to hand over her valuables.They then stripped the woman’s sister of her jewellery,Johnny Herrera Chile Jersey, relieved her of a handbag with cash,Mikael Ishak Sweden Jersey, then took her out to the roadway and raped her.“I am terrified up to now. We are locking up our house by six-thirty in the evening,” the resident said.The woman later learnt that robbers also attacked and raped another woman from her neighbourhood a few nights ago.And it seems that these marauders strike as soon as night falls.Last Wednesday, a female soldier was attacked and robbed around the relatively early time of 19:30 hrs.She was walking into Sophia in the vicinity of the well located at Plum Park, when some men emerged from a taxi and pounced on her.The men relieved the soldier of her belongings— including a bag containing her army uniform.This desolate area in Plum Park, Sophia, seems to be one of the danger spots. A security guard was also reportedly robbed of his phone and lunch-bag in this same location about three weeks ago.Some residents explained that they are left particularly vulnerable after sundown because most taxi drivers are too scared to take passengers into Sophia at night. Some drivers are also daunted by the pot-holed roads.One resident believes that there is a network of various gangs, and that there are individuals who tip them off when the police are on patrol.‘JUVENILE GANG’Kaieteur News has also received reports of a gang of boys, aged between nine and 13, that operate out of ‘B’ Field, Sophia. They reportedly also prey on residents from nearby communities.At present,Blank Mexico Jersey, police are investigating claims that two juveniles from the ‘gang’ sexually assaulted a four-year-old boy after luring him to a house in ‘B’ Field, Sophia.A resident pointed out two of the juveniles to Kaieteur News and said that they are frequently locked up by the police.But some of the besieged residents are fighting back, sometimes with frightening consequences.About three months ago, one woman heard her neighbour screaming during the wee hours of the morning.“I heard her screaming for me and when I run to the window, she say ‘they taking my cell phone.’”It transpired that robbers,Chile Jersey, armed with guns, had forced their way into the neighbour’s house and were relieving the woman of her belongings, including her gold chain and cell phone.But the victim was not prepared to let her precious cell phone go without a fight.“She ran behind them, then I heard a shot and then I heard silence. I say, ‘this girl get shoot’, and then I heard her crying.” The neighbour had escaped unharmed.The escalating crime rate has also forced the law-abiding to look out for one another and protect their community. A few months ago, some residents of ‘B’ Field, Sophia awoke around 02:00 hrs to observe that thieves were trying to make off with lengths of telephone cable. One man was already on a utility pole preparing to cut the cables.The residents immediately used their cell phones to alert each other.“We signaled… and before you could say ‘knife’ all the lights were on,” one woman recalled.Then the neighbours, comprising mainly women, confronted the vandals. The thieves fled, leaving their cutting implements and four pairs of slippers behind.But this community action could also have tragic consequences,Andres Guardado Mexico Jersey, as was the case last May when a group of incensed residents cornered and killed 41-year-old Nigel Roy Lowe in ‘A’ Field, Sophia, after hearing shouts of ‘thief.’IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITYGiving one reason for the high incidence of crime, one ‘B’ Field resident pointed to extreme levels of poverty in many sections of the community and the fact that many young mothers are bringing up their children without a father present.“This is an impoverished community. I know many houses where the families don’t have proper food to eat.”In a search for solutions, one resident suggested that police set up an outpost near the ‘B’ Field Bridge located near the ‘Blacka’ (Lamaha Canal). This area is said to be one of the ‘hot spots’ for criminal activity. Some have suggested that some of the criminals are from other impoverished communities nearby, and that they enter Sophia via the bridge leading into ‘B’ Field.Others have suggested more mobile police patrols, coupled with improved roads to enable the lawmen to traverse all areas of Sophia. It was also suggested that the police conduct occasional house-to house searches.“They should do a sweep of Sophia; you might be surprised what they would find,” a resident remarked.They are also appealing for more street lights to be erected,Fernando Muslera Uruguay Jersey, since they are reportedly none in areas like ‘B’ Field.BANDING TOGETHEROne resident said that while Sophia has a Community Policing Group, the members,Erick Pulgar Chile Jersey, among whom are women, are up against criminals who are sometimes heavily armed.“They are up against guns; they are only human. They are also doing foot patrols (along with mobile patrols) and that is even more dangerous.”But the resident believes that one major solution lies in the law-abiding among them banding together against the criminals. Some are already doing this.“We are sensitising the community that neighbours should have phone numbers for each other,” a community leader said.“We have to go back to the olden times and take back our community. The police can’t patrol everywhere. People have to get up and fight.”