What is mission of anti-crime unit?

THE EDITOR: Better compensation packages will be offered to the 20 police officers to be recruited into Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s special anti-crime unit, headed by Brig Peter Joseph, one daily paper has reported.

This crime unit has not yet fired a bullet and they are being paid more money than the average officer who faces the barrel of the criminal guns on a daily basis. I used to believe that salary is based on performance. Hire someone and, after he has proven himself, then increase his salary. The Prime Minister must make these officers’ salaries public knowledge.

The other thing that bothers me about these 20 selected officers is their mission. What exactly is their mission? The Prime Minister has said that the kidnappings are “significantly” bogus and the murders being committed are “drug related.” If the kidnappings are “significantly bogus” then is Manning going to send these officers to break down the doors of kidnap victims and demand that they tell the “truth?” If people are taking drugs and killing each other, then there is nothing that the police can do. How are they going to stop someone who swallows a few crack cocaine and then “blows” the head off another human being? Drug rehab centres is the way to go. Or they can hang a few as the UNC did during their term in office.

I must admit that I don’t have much faith in the new unit being formed. Drug lords have money, Trinidad is a small island and anyone can be found anywhere. I say root out corruption in the police force, take out the “moles,” sanitise the service. Then deal with the criminals outside. According to statistical data, there are over 1000 complaints against the police (maybe higher or lower), yet to be addressed. Some of those complaints might be significant enough to warrant the removal of these criminal officers.

Finally, I think the composition of this force will reveal the Prime Minister’s true intention. If there are no Indians in the 20 then we can assume they are going after kidnap victims or the UNC. In that case we may be seeing the formation of Patrick’s Mongoose Gang (PMG). Many years ago, I was standing by a bridge at around 9 pm. I noticed a large convoy of cars moving along with bright lights on the banks of a river. I have never quite figured out what those vehicles were doing on the banks of the river at that time of the night. Maybe Brig Joseph might finally solve this mystery for me. Best of luck to the new crime fighting unit.

KHEM HARRINARINE
Port-of-Spain