DOMA: Thief and murderer, not bandit

The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) wants the young criminal offender to be  referred to as a “thief” or “murderer.” 

In a statement yesteday,  DOMA said that the would-be criminal may be less inclined to start a career of lawlessness if he or she were referred to as a “thief” or “murderer.” “We in Trinidad and Tobago have developed a habit of reporting on criminals as ‘bandits’ and ‘gunmen’. It is our strong belief that the term ‘bandit’ and ‘gunman’ and does not connote all the negativity that may have been intended.” “Indeed, ‘bandit and gunman’ may have a somewhat glamorous connotation of ‘badman’ and ‘leader of the pack,’ which young minds may find attractive in the current context,” DOMA said.

The statemement noted that “the idea of being thought of as a thief or murderer may discourage many young minds still undecided about what choices to make.” The current practice of referring to criminals as “bandits”or “gunmen” is not sufficiently negative, DOMA said, and indeed may add to the glamour and attractiveness of crime. Accompanying the letter was an altered Newsday article in which the term “thief” was substituted for the term “bandit”in illustration of the point being raised by DOMA. DOMA said its suggestion comes in light the “chaos and despair creeping across the nation.”