Name: George
Title: The Laventille dilemma
Comments: The politicians and the police here seem never to learn from their mistakes and continue to use the same old tactics when dealing with crime in the Laventille district. Sending in more police to patrol to this area is asking for more trouble.In the past soldiers together with the police were used to try to quell the violence there and apparently will little success bearing in mind the reason now for again deploying more police patrols in the area. This village is and has always been a PNM stronghold which has been neglected and is lacking in many basic amenities. I read some time ago that these citizens were still using outside latrines something that should have been phased out decades ago. The citizens of this village need better living conditions to enhance their living standards. Many need better welfare facilities and rehabilitation in order to get them back on the right track.They need constant care and guidance in order to break away from their embedded acts of criminality. The politicians must handle the situation in this village with compassion and care.Things such as better housing, better medical and welfare facilities and better educational outlets together with an improved environment will make the much needed and desired difference to this community. No human being despite, color class or creed want to live in an area in which they are all treated and classified as criminals, by the politicians, the police, and other citizens. It is the responsibility of the politicians and in this case, because it is a stronghold of the PNM their responsibility to bring about the changes required in the village without further harassment and aggravation from the police or the military. It is about time the citizens of this village be treated as a special case and in need of special care and attention. Leaving the inhabitants of this village to fester in their squaller and deprivation and treating all of them as either criminals or potential criminals is simply encouraging a breeding ground for the continuance of the high crime rate in the area.I have feeling that the contents of letters like this one will fall on deaf ears as usual, and the situation will remain just as it is now for decades to come.