‘TERRIBLE TIMES'

Pastor Michael Phillips, who led the congregation as they raised their voices in praise, quoting scripture after scripture, told mourners that although Francis’ death was a testament of a dark time in our nation, ‘better days are coming.’ “There will be terrible times in the last days!” Phillips quoted from the bible, “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God... but in spite of everything, better days are coming,” he said.

He reminded the crowd that Felicia’s death was a sign of these times, but reminded them of God’s promise of eternal life.

Francis was described by most at the service as a well put together woman, who was straightforward, and strong willed, but was also loving, industrious, caring and kind-hearted. Representatives from the Community Hospital, where she worked most of her professional career, and from the Women’s Ministry, Department of her Church, the South East Port-of- Spain Seventh Day Adventist Church took turns praising Francis for her contributions to the lives of the people around her.

On November 4, after attending an hour long service at her place of worship, Dyer Francis was shot dead by a unknown gunman. She was shot in her head and shoulders while sitting in her vehicle outside her church.

Reports indicate that she was killed as a warning to one of her children, who is a police officer.

Francis’ murder on November 4 was the 388th recorded murder for the year. Since then, the toll has shot up to 405. Voicing a serious concern for the rate of murders being committed in this country, Minister of National Security Edmond Dillon yesterday appealed to the nation to cease the unabating violence that has been destroying this nation. The minster said he was made aware of several news reports where neighbours were killing neighbours, brothers were killing brothers and friends were killing friends. He pleaded with the nation to look out for our fellow man.

“We have to be our brother’s keeper,” said Dillon in a phone conversation with the Newsday.

He said that some instances of murder, for example gang violence could be deterred through utilising strategies which include detection, deterrence, prosecution and intelligence, but there are other instances of murder that police are less able to predict - like a friend killing a friend in an altercation.

“Every murder is of a serious concern to the Ministry of National Security, and should be a concern to all of Trinidad and Tobago” Said Dillon, “Through recent meetings with the Acting Commissioner of Police, and commanders of the Northern and Central Division, we are setting the ground work to implement new strategies to tackle the rate of murders in the nation. We are looking for new ways to capitalize all our resources. We will be utilizing deterrence methods, by way of a higher police presence, and we will be looking for even better intelligence gathering methods.” Newsday was told that up to October this year the detection rate for crimes in the country was at a ballpark figure of 17 percent.