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clevon_raphael@hotmail.com
Rescuing
Laventille
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Criminals calling ceasefire is farcical.
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Clean up Police Service of rogue elements to seriously tackle
crime.
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National consultation needed on problems of Laventille.
NEEDED
urgently: a rescue mission for Laventille. I do not mean that
non-starter of a solution that, understandably, frightened
citizens are once again clamouring for—a limited state
of emergency.
I am not thinking about sending even more government boots
(read armed-to-the-teeth police and soldiers) into the affected
areas on lightening-fast anti-crime exercises.
There is no doubt that the nation has been plunged into a
state of shock and further despair with the brazen fire-bombing
of two homes and the shooting up of another at Picton two
Sundays ago.
There is absolutely no doubt that we are living in a period
of runaway crime that none of us in our wildest dreams ever
thought would happen in sweet T&T.
And there is absolutely no doubt that all law-abiding citizens
are feeling like sitting ducks not knowing when they could
fall victim to any of the beasts in human form.
And what is compounding our daily nightmare is the fact that
rogue elements in the Police Service, although very small,
have gone a long way to create distrust of the police among
citizens.
Even though most officers are true to their calling, the unpalatable
truth is, based on reports in the news media, ordinary citizens
are scared to make reports at police stations. They don’t
know who to trust.
So with the bandits running roughshod over the people and
the police at their wit’s end to contain the situation,
we are indeed living in perilous times.
Among those resurrecting this limited state of emergency idea
is newly appointed Independent Senator Gail Merhair, a former
president of the San Juan Business Association and a woman
whose views I have listened to and have high regard for over
the last couple of years.
But Miss Merhair is completely off the mark—and so too
others who are advocating this extreme measure.
I have not been convinced that it would achieve its purpose,
which is basically to stem the beastly activities of the criminals.
Could Miss Merhair and those who share her view convince me
and others who think like me that executing such a measure
would achieve the desired results?
Until then I remain firm that a limited state of emergency
would be a waste of time and resources for all the reasons
objectors to this proposal have repeatedly ventilated.
I also see that another so-called peace treaty is in the making
between some of the warring factions in the Laventille community.
Unless a completely different approach is taken from that
of the first failed attempt, that too would be another project
in useless and wishful thinking.
For such a programme to be successful there must be consensus
among all the criminal gangs.
It is absolutely baloney for spokes-men for two or three gangs
to get together and announce some nonsensical thing, in this
context, called a “ceasefire.”
My God, are we in the Middle East, parts of Africa or Asia
where those people could speak of such a thing, even though
the intention may be honourable?
(By the way, who is in charge here? Unless I am mistaken,
we still have a police service and a military establishment,
which combined is referred to as our security forces.)
Who are these people to speak so boldly about a ceasefire?
You mean to say these criminals have become so empowered that
they can declare—in our faces—plans for a “ceasefire?”
That is a clear indication of how very powerful these wretched
of the earth feel they have become.
They are simply thumbing their noses in the face of our security
forces, plain and simple. And this is the state in which we
have found ourselves today.
Despite all the efforts of the security forces, particularly
the police who have been provided with so much resources by
the State, we are still at the mercy of the gun-toting criminals.
Daily, innocent lives and those of the bandits are being taken
out with no end in sight. Lockdowns imposed by the security
forces are also producing little results.
The blood-letting is proceeding with frightening regularity.
So what can we citizens do to help bring some relief to our
society and make it safe and peaceful once more?
A concerned Trinidadian who was tuned into the breakfast show
on Power 102 last week Friday morning, which dealt with the
crime situation, called me to say the only way this situation
can be effectively tackled is for the National Security Minister
and the Police Commissioner to clean up the service of its
rouge elements. But that is another story.
Today I want to humbly suggest to the authorities that a national
and meaningful consultation on Laventille be held in Laventille
itself.
That representatives of the Government, Opposition, NGOs,
the security forces, business organisations—everybody—be
on board for this rescue mission of not only Laventille but
by extension the national community.
Let the people themselves speak of their problems, what can
be done to help them and the country out of the national disaster
that is crime.
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