Criminal high tide

THE EDITOR: Thirty-eight days into the year and already TT has recorded at least 30 murders. Worse, however, is that after Carnival Monday the PNM can no longer maintain their sole, much touted, claim to efficiency — a crime free carnival. The traditional two day amnesty between law and lawless has been breached. Not since the Canboulay riots of 1881 or the steel band wars of the fifties and early sixties have we been witness to such violence. Jouvert aborted in Arouca after three people (one in critical condition) received gunshot wounds, 32 stabbed or chopped in Jouvert in Port-of-Spain, another in San Fernando and a man murdered in the Savannah in broad daylight in the midst of all the action, while with typical foresight and planning, the police guard City Gate and helicopters buzz around San Fernando, where PM Manning was enhancing his popularity with his constituents while Hazel took in the Parade of the Bands in North!

It is obvious that the criminals are more than one step ahead of the police, Minister of National Security and the Manning administration — helicopters, platforms in the sky and Manning’s well paid special army/police unit notwithstanding. Surely more is demanded than hollow rhetoric. The mayhem and fear under which we in TT are living is not a natural disaster — it is man made. Perhaps now the doubting Thomas’ will at last recognise that the Patrick Manning administration is incapable of controlling the crime wave which is, like a tsunami, gathering momentum as it goes along; and we shall soon all be engulfed by it — even that majority that MORI would have us believe that we feel very safe walking the streets. Poor Chin Lee’s job has just been made doubly harder too — how is he going to lure the tourists into this crime fest? At lest under his watch he could boast of a crime free Carnival!

VIRGINIA VERITY
Port-of-Spain