We are in a state of decline and there aren’t many signs that it is likely to change. As I browsed through this week’s news, sifting through the spiralling myriad of thoughts that flash through my mind, a few paradoxes remained indelible.

While the Government has been busy defending its decision to build a swimming pool for Her Excellency Glenda Morean at a cost of $1.6 million, children are pictured stooping to collect dirty water from ponds and springs in various parts of sweet T&T because they have had no tap water for several weeks now. Low water pressure is also affecting the fire service’s ability to contain the numerous bush fires that seem to be everywhere.

While junior National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds boasted that the Government was winning the fight against crime (“we are closing the gap!”) because it was equipping the police so that they could win the war the headline from the Police Service read “Cops short of guns: Officers going to crime scenes unarmed!” Their shopping list didn’t stop there, though.

Lack of vehicles, new ones without wireless communication systems and poor quality bulletproof vests are just a few of the other luxury items they want.

While PM Patrick Manning fetes in Spain so that he could “promote T&T to energy investors” the issue of the removal of the Chief Justice remains in limbo, with a cloud of suspicion over the administration of justice with San Fernando police unable to prevent the theft of over $100,000 worth of fish from poverty-stricken fishermen at the San Fernando Wharf in the wee hours of Good Friday. The frightened, unarmed police either couldn’t care less or quite understandable, had to wait until the bandits had made off and were a safe distance away before they could visit the crime scene.

While Attorney General John Jeremie is busy planning strategy in the impasse over the removal of the CJ, kidnappers are incredibly being given bail every day by weary magistrates. These same kidnappers are then free to kidnap and rob to pay lawyers to defend them and support their luxurious lifestyle.

While people are being abducted left, right and centre, John Public is at a loss to understand why some magistrates are granting bail to alleged kidnappers or setting low bail while other magistrates are, quite rightly refusing bail outright (for example Carlos Manickchand—Camille Bobart kidnapping, Robert Rosales—veterinarian Dr Azizul Rahaman’s kidnapping and Sheldon “Skelly” Lovell—Dr Ronald John’s kidnapping). Why this discrepancy? It’s the same crime and magistrates do have the power to refuse bail or set a high bail commensurate with the seriousness of the crime and the ransom which was demanded.

While the Vision 2020 committee continues its farcical public meetings all over the place, kidnapping and murder trials cannot even begin because the magistracy is overworked and the volume of cases is too much for the limited number of magistrates and courts. Hence, the petrified and paralysed public reads that the preliminary inquiry against those charged with the kidnapping of baby Sada Singh is yet to start.

Businessman Ravi Kallipersad Maharaj is kidnapped for a second time but the preliminary inquiry for his first kidnapping back in 2002 is yet to commence.

“Imagine the cruel irony in having to ‘pay’ the legal fees for your kidnappers so that they can defend themselves in court,” one person remarked.

To cap it off, while the Director of Public Prosecutions is obsessed about prosecuting Prof Vijay Narynsingh, he takes no action whatsoever against promoted police corporal Visham Boodoosingh who shot young Richard Ramnarace in his face some five years ago.

The Police Service Commission continues to promote, rather than discipline police officers who abuse their authority and the Commissioner of Police is to busy trying to avoid the issue of crime for fear of making the Government that promoted him look bad. Sixty-one million dollars in high-tech spy equipment and no dent in the wave of terrifying kidnappings.

May God help us all!