Related Information to Trinidad & Tobago's Crime Problem

Trinidad & Tobago's Crime Problem - Page 12

Name: George

Title: Improving the crime scenario here

Comments: It is now impossible to make those in the corridors of power, other politicians, those of status, and in positions of authority to face reality and stop asking for the appointment of a new local police commissioner. It is now quite clear because of our past and present records that we do not have the calibre of citizens within our police system suitable or capable of changing the crime situation here. The present Acting police commissioner just do as he is told and his masters are apparently pleased with his antics of painting a monthly pretty picture trying to convince the public that crime has fallen when this is far from the truth. Our present brigade of senior officers are only supportive of the wealthy whether they be honest or corrupt citizens, These faceless men at the very top of our security and police system together with our lower ranked policemen are seen by ordinary citizens as a law unto themselves and therefore as the enemy of the ordinary citizens. If our government politicians who now have very little say in how our police system is controlled and operated want to improve our general crime scenario, then the police system needs to be handed over to an outside experienced and well established police commissioner and his associates. Any new outside management team of our police system must be allowed to take full control without any hindrance in order to be able to alter the present procedures and mentality of those in the hierarchy of our present police system. The truth of the matter is where this nation is concerned we need a revolution to put things back to normal. The pioneers of our politics and their successors since our independence, have made a complete mess of almost all aspect and elements of governing a nation such as ours. They have by their examples encourage corruption in high places and have help to generate a multitude of new crimes within the nation. This is now being reflected in the reported behaviour of the young school children here,together with the widespread galloping pace of lawlessness that now exist throughout the population. The main cause of this degrading state of affairs is the desire by everyone here to get rich overnight, and the bad examples especially those set by politicians, who appear to be suffering from acute personal financial greed and deceit. . We have in the past decades created many very rich citizens overnight mainly by means of underhand corrupt practices, who even when caught are allowed to keep the loot and pay no retribution.Most end up by just getting a slap on their wrist. Politicians here have stood by and do nothing constructive whatsoever except offer lip service,where the daily murders of our ordinary citizens. Are concerned. They have handed the responsibility lock,stock,and barrel to an inadequate police force led by men of suspected dubious reputation. Politicians here because of political in fighting have failed to reinstate the death penalty and the police has also given a free hand to local kidnappers, as kidnappings itself is no longer recorded as a criminal act .Kidnappings are now only so classified as a crime by the police if a ransom demand is associated to this crime. With this sort of bending the rules of law and order which is obviously approved by politicians, the country has now become a haven for all types of criminals because the impression given here is that crime pays. The problem that exist is now set in concrete and in order to dismantle this set up a new approach with outside help.id urgently needed.Without such help we can just look forward for more of the same for years to come.

Problem Crime Tobagos and Trinidad

Name: George

Title: A new generation of criminals

Comments: The nation is now facing a new generation of criminals. The police will never be able to control these new crafty and budding criminals who have learn their trade by the examples set by other crooks,hardened but sophisticated criminals here .Things are going from bad to worse. The writing is on the wall. The recent discovery of some school drop outs being involved in growing weed with a profitable gain and another drop out committing murder during a robbery are all signs of what is to come. Please also bear in mind that these two incidents are the only ones reported and highlighted in the local press and could be just the thin edge of the new budding criminal wedge. The blame for this new development lie squarely on the shoulders of our politicians,police and the judiciary who has stood by since our independence and to this day, have continued to turn a blind eye to the criminal illegal activities by some of our well known masterminds of corruption and other serious crimes here. With all the signs that this nation is now a haven for criminals and the clear impression that crime pays, together with the fact, that you are most likely to pay no retribution, then crime has become a free for all. One only have to look at the past crime records here to find that several citizens of status who despite being found guilty of corruption were allowed to walk free and even keep their unlawful gains. This lack of respect for law and order by the police,politicians and the judiciary have only helped to generate more thieves, petty criminals,and widespread lawlessness on this island. It is now playing a major part in influencing and encouraging the young and others to jump on the criminal band wagon. We are now faced with the consequences of what happens to a society when the authorities fail to implement the correct punishment to criminals,thereby projecting an image as protectors especially of the wealthy and elite criminals. Without draconian measures by the judiciary, the police and those in the corridors of power we can now expect a worsening situation where crime and morals are concerned.

Trinidad & Tobago's Crime Problem Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

Name: George

Title: The annual murder rate

Comments: I see the murder rate is now 400 and perhaps by the time I finished writing this letter a few more bodies may be found thus surpassing the 400 mark. What ever happened to the monthly chatter by Mr Williams that serious crime has fallen. My advice is to take what these officials say with a pinch of salt. You see other serious crimes are not as noticeable as murders. Take for instance corruption and kidnappings .These two crimes are suffocated when it comes to exposure and reporting. We therefore really don't know the true crime figures.At the end of this year, the way things are going, the murder rate should be around 425 to 430. You just can't get the message to politicians, the police or the judiciary that they are not capable of introducing any new crime plan that will work here. They, all three, the politicians, the police, or the judiciary that they have failed since our independence to keep things as normal as possible.I really don't think it would make any difference here, even if the annual rate of murders were double what it is today. It is the mentality of our masters. They are lacking in logical reasoning and still can't come to terms with re-instating the death penalty which is obviously the only deterrent that is likely to stem the flow of the slaughter of many of our innocent citizens. With their attitude,my advice to those especially in the corridors of power, is to start building more prisons to house the multitude of killers on the loose on this still waiting to be caught.

Page 12 Problem Crime Tobagos and Trinidad

Name: George

Title: The reasons for seriois crimes here

Comments: The only time something really constructive or meaningful will ever be done about serious crime here especially murders and kidnappings is when government politicians have become targets and end up on the slab at the morgue or are being kidnapped for money. Then there maybe, the possible implementation of a solution to our serious crime problems. Politicians here have no respect for the lives of our ordinary citizens otherwise something meaningful would have been done decades ago when murders,kidnappings and other serious crimes began to dominate the crime scene. They just stood aside offering lip service,squandering Treasury funds on useless attempts that offered 'kick backs' to combat crime which they still do now without any real attempt to stop the galloping crime activities on this island. Crime in fact, has turned out to be a money spinner for many politicians and government officials.The strange thing about this, is that even politicians from other parties have adopted the procedures of many of the PNM's wrong doings which have fuelled widespread corruption,general lawlessness and other serious crimes in our society. The politicians have at present no effective crime plan,and have constantly spent massive amounts of money in supporting the police demands for new equipment to fight crime. However, despite spending an arm and a leg on these police demands very little progress has been made in stemming the flow of serious crime here. Recently the police have come up with another idea of a need for body cameras, a need which in my opinion, is to protect themselves, not catch criminals. The only sensible thing done here with regards to crime since or independence was the appointment of Mr Gibbs and his deputy to take control and help in administering or police. However an end was soon put to that move, by those racist elements within our political and our police systems,who planned behind closed doors the termination of the appointment of Mr Gibbs and his associate. The impression given then, and still in mind, is that the termination of the appointment of Mr Gibbs and his deputy was based on race and the fact that certain politicians and senior police officers were determined not to have their adverse and corrupt procedures exposed to the public. In my opinion, and bearing in mind what is happening now, they wanted things to remain exactly as they are, thus the reasons why murders,kidnappings and serious crimes, and general lawlessness together with the police perpetual protection given to the Mr Bigs are still causing havoc here where the crime scenario is concerned. Something those of status and in positions of authority here are well aware of but has turned a blind eye to the adverse effect it has on our nation and its people.

Problem Crime Tobagos and Trinidad

No George, crime already affects the politicians. Just recently one of the MPs home was broken into while he was asleep and he had his car stolen. We had one of the most prominent attorneys murdered, nothing done. We can go even further back… we have a coup and yet those that started it are free today. Crime flourishes because the consequences of crime are too mild, the judiciary too slow and like everything else in T&T nothing is taken seriously.

Trinidad & Tobago's Crime Problem

Name: Ashton

Title: Crimes- most common causes

Comments: The current crime (Murder rate in particular)situation in TT is almost totally out of control. While I offer the following suggestions that would likely help in solving this matter, keep in mind that it would take at least 2 generations to see any significant success. Criminal activities are spawned when- -there are no economic opportunities for our young and middle-aged citizens. -there is the breakdown within families -there is the feeling of being under-paid, under valued. This leads to extortion, corruption, bribery. -there are no standards set by leaders from ALL walks of life (Morally, integrity, race baiting, etc. In order to address the above, ALL citizens need to acknowledge their role. Leaders need to come together as 1 to create, implement, support stimulate and protect entrepreneurial opportunities for those searching for same.

Trinidad & Tobago's Crime Problem - Page 12

Name: George

Title: Lack of respect for our local police and trust

Comments: There are several reasons why the ordinary citizens of this nation do not trust the local police.This is having a tremendous effect on the police not being able to make any real progress in the battle against crime here. They are not receiving the expected assistance from our ordinary citizens. One significant reason is that the police have now adopted an attitude of being a law onto themselves which is clearly displayed in the calypso video entitled ' Road Block' related to the police demand for an increase in their salaries in 2015,This calypso maybe amusing but it is certainly an eye opener,and gives one food for thought. There have also been reports of senior police officers dabbling in certain corrupt practices over the past decades. The implementation by the judiciary of one law for the rich and another for the poor on this island only encourages the police to deal more leniently with those of status and of wealth. This is particularly noticeable in the number of those citizens found guilty of corruption here,but are allowed to keep their ill-gotten gains and are never imprisoned. This is a small island 60x40 miles with a small population, the criminal element being in the minority but despite this, the police have a very poor record in crime detection especially in respect of murders, kidnappings, and other serious crimes. They seem more interested in the criminals involved in petty crimes at the lower level of our society. The leader of the local police has now adopted a habit of perpetually trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the ordinary citizens by inferring that crime has fallen when in fact it is quite the opposite. There is practically no difference in the average level after our independence which is over five decades ago. There is also a growing tendency by the police to make announcements of investigations and probes into the many serious crimes committed by those of status and in positions of authority on this island which never materializes but are swept under the carpet. The continuing failure of the police to enforce law and order in an expected rightful manner to reduce crime as whole and the expansion of lawlessness in this country is caused and reflected by the degrading disrespectful manner in which they deal with many of our ordinary citizens. This is displayed in the growing number of complaints. Finally, there are just too many police now jumping on the criminal band -wagon which is reported by the number of officers now suspended being alleged in the involvement in criminal activities. This will only encourage the ordinary citizens to view many policemen as no better than ordinary criminals thus maintaining the high level of a lack of respect and trust. Please bear in mind that this observation is made by that Trini living in the UK who has plenty to say.

Trinidad & Tobago's Crime Problem Trinidad & Tobago / Caribbean - Page 12

Name: George

Title: The encouragemnet of crime here.

Comments: It would now appear that the trend here has turned in favor of criminality. Reading the daily various reports on murders corruption, kidnappings stealing, petty crime and general lawlessness and the violence and misbehavior of our secondary school pupils that is taking place on this island, reflect a fast degrading society in dire need of discipline. The failure of the police to catch our killers and other criminals has only given the incentive to the potential criminalS to jump on the bandwagon of crime. One of the main reasons why the police are seen as the enemy of the ordinary citizens is the manner in which -they deal with the public. They are lacking in the art of rapport and acting in a respectable and dutiful manner when confronting citizens they suspect of undertaking acts of criminality.However, the worse offenders of our crime scenario are the judiciary. The police at present are paying the price for their perpetual application of one law for the rich and another for the poor.in not dealing with the elite in the manner in which they deserve when it comes to punishments associated with crimes. Members of the judiciary wear the masks of legal respectability but act as protectors of those criminals of status and wealth and this is now observed by a majority of our ordinary citizens. The problem is that it has now become almost impossible to change the situation as the benefactors mainly those high ranking officials in positions of power and authority just won't tolerate any diversion of what is in play at present. The future both for the police and the crime scenario seems rather bleak here. The picture now projected is that majority of our ordinary citizens have been encouraged to be dishonest and turn to crime because the chances of being caught are very slim indeed, As for the upper- class crooks especially those involved in corruption they feel very much as the untouchables because as the record shows, they have been getting away with almost all of their criminal adventures without any serious retributions. This is the view from that Trini that has plenty to say Finally, those in the corridors of power have not helped the situation by constantly displaying an attitude of being possessed by a syndrome of personal financial greed by employing tricks of the political trade in order to feather the nests of themselves and their corrupt associates. They are forever, sticking the knife into each other backs and at the same time trying their hardest to pull the wool over the eyes of the ordinary citizens. This simple reflects the chaos and lack of logical reasoning that exists now within our politics., How do we ever get out of this cycle of a very bad predicament.