Pokémon no go

None of these things should go together. And two should not happen at all. Yet, the country awoke on Saturday to the sobering story of three ordinary Diego Martin women being attacked in a most terrible way. Reportedly in search of Pok?mon Go characters, they were set upon by a gang of miscreants.

The group of men assaulted, abducted, robbed – and in one instance raped – the women.

Luckily, the cellular phones stolen from the three women were traced to an area in Chase Village and the men’s car was intercepted and arrests made.

No victim is responsible for his or her misfortune. That falls squarely on the shoulders of those who would violate others in flagrant defiance of the law and the basic rules of human decency.

It is not impossible to imagine persons using the Pok?mon game to target victims, given its addictive qualities as well as the fact that it distracts people from their surroundings. When we are distracted, we are vulnerable.

Anyone can predict with a high degree of accuracy the likely location of players. Last week’s events constituted an appalling ordeal and served as a frightening reminder to all who are touched by modern-day technology.

By now, we are used to the flood of warnings about online lotteries, ATM scams, cat-fishing and identity theft. It seems we also have to wise-up to the risks inherent in even a simple, pleasurable game. Technology has exploded around us but we have not taken the time to think of the dangers. We are not alone.

Other parts of the world have seen instances in which players have been both victims and perpetrators of criminal acts. In September alone, 290 police incidents – including robberies, thefts, assaults and driving offences – were reported involving use of this app in England and Wales. In the US, a man crashed his car into a tree while playing Pok?mon Go. He was attempting to catch a Pok?mon when he swerved off the road.

Specialist teams had to be scrambled after four teenagers got lost in a cave while hunting for Pok?mon. The group headed into Boxfields Caves in Wiltshire to play, but lost their way and had to wander around until they found enough signal to call 999.

Three students were robbed at knife point of their mobile phones while playing Pok?mon Go in Manchester, United Kingdom.

The police here last week took a very cynical stance in relation to the whole situation.

“It is not worth it to risk your life, risk being raped, robbed, abducted and even murdered for some virtual reality game,” a senior officer asserted. “People need to be more security conscious and sensible. If you have to go out and play this stupid game, at least go in a large group of both men and women as there is strength in numbers.” The police are right to issue cautions. But they ignore the fact that Pok?mon has served to bring some young people together and encouraged them to step out into the world, instead of staying at home cowering in fear and being anti-social, due in large measure to rampant crime.

And whether the police admit it or not, Pok?mon Go is here to stay. It is now a part of our social fabric. Witness the daily gatherings of players at Woodford Square.

The super success of the game means further editions are likely and other game companies will develop competing forms based on the same hybrid of augmented realities and real-world locations.

Will the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, particularly its Cyber Crime Unit, be able to keep up? Aside from a mention on the legislative agenda, we have heard little of the new Cybercrime Bill.

We better start hearing. Pok?mon Go has opened a Pandora’s box.