Crime Situation and Solutions

Crime Situation and Solutions

As indicated in the previous post, we shall explore the state of the criminal enterprise at this time and make some suggestions as to solutions.

T&T had the distinction or misfortune of having a quite disproportionate (for population size) number of figures in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London in the 90's. 

Boysie Singh, the Poolool brothers and Mano Benjamin were among our 'stars' in that collection of 'notorious murderers and other infamous historical figures'.

Such was the picture presented to the world of our criminality of the earlier years of the 20th century. 

Here at home, there was the period of the 'badjohns' along with several 'smartmen' and a small number of notorious killers whose vicious deeds caused a major stir in the society. Our criminal element was composed mostly of individual figures, some even regarded as a kind of folk hero.

Into the 70's and the picture changed in the aftermath of the 1970 Revo. 

Before the end of the year, in obvious response to the events prior to the state of emergency, the drug culture and drug trade were introduced as a counter-measure to the rebellious spirit of the youth.

The hippie culture laced with generous amounts of marijuana and MX were poured into our land through the 'Woodstock' events at high-end clubs and on the blocks.

The Expansion of the Enterprise

Fairly rapidly after that, the graduation to the broader distribution of 'heavy' drugs swept the landscape as our country became a prominent transhipment point in the network of the global trade in drugs and arms. 

Our location afforded passage between producers in the South and North America and Europe with the largest consumer markets.

By the late 1980's, it was possible for vigilante action in the communities to fight the burgeoining cocaine trade in the context of the allegations of involvement in the trade of even senior police officers and others contained in the Scott Drug Report.

Our language about crime changed. 'Drug lord', 'blocks', 'piper' became part of the vocabulary of the media reports and daily conversation.

The individual criminal perpetrator (like the individual artisan) was giving way to the organised criminal networks (like the mass production factories). 

The character of our criminality developed rapidly in the 90's and the first decade of this century both in terms of the expanse of the criminal organisations and the character of the criminality. 

A wanton brutality developed with a savagery which has now become almost expected as the 'weapon of choice' - the gun - has replaced the old 'razor, cutlass and ice pick' weaponry of the past. 

Kidnapping for ransom, the disappearance of individuals, large scale car stealing rings brutal murders with increasing regularity erased the memory of the bush rum still, weh-weh turf and whappie game as the kind of criminal activity which our islands knew.

This has brought us to today's savagery as the tolls in 'gang- and drug-related slaughter reached a peak in 2009 and is threatened with being surpassed in 2016, as even more barbaric and gruesome acts of murderous violence make the bestial savagery of Mano Benjamin seem tame.

 Trafficking of substance and humans are the order of the day.

An example of a recent episode in the crime saga illustrates some of the features of the current criminality - 

• A home invasion and robbery in San Fernando 
• A visitor dragged into theatre of the crime and car stolen "for the boss"
• the stolen car used in a murder in Central a day later
• the bandits steal another car and one is killed in a shootout with police.

The bandits are 17-years old, one from South and the other from Deep South. 
One is dead before knowing living.
The 'boss' is unknown.

What is Fuelling this Tsunami of Criminality?

It is easy to say that there is world-wide trade in narcotics and illegal weapon trade and the rise of the narco underworld and even narco-states and that we cannot escape what is swirling around us.

But our rapid descent into this state of criminal savagery in which our population is gripped with fear, numbed by the regularity of wanton murder and the continuing failure of the state to provide any prospect of safety for citizens must have causes internal to our society. 

The failure of the police to protect, the abject inability of the legal system to deliver justice only add to the morass. 

Our society has degenerated rapidly and has abandoned large sections of our youth to the influence of a culture that offers nothing positive, glorifies violence and individual 'getting ahead' as the norm and values and provides no positive motivation. 

The atmosphere of degradation is toxic and destructive to our humanity and the acquiring of 'rank', wealth by any means and lack of concern for the social consequence of actions is dehumanising our society and even its individual members. 

Our children are left to be comforted and nurtured by 'gang leaders', to be excited by 'gangsta' artists rather than by family and the caring village. 

In this mire of degradation, the criminal enterprise finds willing pools of new recruits and our 'leaders' offer nothing but easy handouts or brutal repression as solution. 

We are told our borders are 'porous' and 'somebody lettin de cocaine pass' (as Rudder put it in song). 

We are told that what we need is more 'law enforcement' and now we are told that we must make a choice between our 'liberties' and accept 'intrusion' for the sake of 'security' as the state increases its suppression of our rights in order to 'protect' us from crime.

What Must Be Done

There is no choice between security and Rights.

Our Security can ONLY be GUARANTEED in Fighting for the Rights of ALL!

Crime and the wanton criminality must be combated by creating a new possibility of opportunity for our youth, of meeting the needs of all members of society.

An 'opposition' politician recently offered suggestions for combating crime. He suggested that we demark the country into 'Zones' - safe, etc. This is nothing but a military-police definition for the level of police and army occupation of our communities which is suggested as necessary to fight crime.

His solution is no different from that offered by the Government a couple months ago when the PM, AG and National Security Minister announced that "the Defence Force to operate virtually permanently ...... throughout the national community, to support the efforts of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service" because "Government will do what has to be done” to bring safety to the society. “ If anybody is taking over the streets, it will be the Security Services of Trinidad and Tobago”, stated the Prime Minister." (Media Release from the PM's Office 22 Jan 2016).

They all speak the same language - Security is a matter of military measures and 'sacrificing' rights.

This outlook does not address:

• providing our youth with opportunity and hope of a future
• setting and ensuring achievement of objective performance indicators for the police service
• ensuring efficient and fair dispensing of justice in our judicial system
• promoting an uplifting and inspiring culture, rather than the culture of degeneration which pervades
• satisfying the need of citizens for social services including health and support for the most vulnerable

This is not a matter of looking to blame this or that Government or political party for the situation. 

The situation of criminality is a product of the problems of our society which must be dealt with by eliminating the real cause of those problems which lies in the nature of the society itself. 

To really solve the problems, we must examine the nature of the social system and how it forms the basis of the society and everything within it. 

We must also seek to address the concerns of the people and not try to impose measures which really work against their interests in the name of 'security', 'safety' and 'national security'.