Confronting the challenge of crime

The recent spike in killings appears to have elicited far less attention and concern among members of the public, as compared to the recently held US presidential elections. Could it be that as a people we have become totally numb to the senseless slaughter? According to a review of comparative data from the Crime and Problem Analysis Unit (CAPA) of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), reports of serious crime in almost every category have decreased between 2015 and 2016. The overall detection rate however, remains below 25%, naturally giving rise to the question of whether there has been any real measure of success.

Currently, the Northern and Central divisions are on record as registering the highest incidence of crime in the country. Overall, crimes of robberies, general larceny and burglaries are the most reported, and continue to number in the thousands. Sexual offences and larceny of motor vehicles also continue to be disturbingly high.

The TTPS appears to be experiencing the least amount of success in the area of murders. Unfortunately, that is the marker by which the public most identifies with the phenomenon of crime. While CAPA documents the statistics, very little information on perpetrators can be found, leading to the reasonable assumption that in most cases, the perpetrators remain unknown.

The Minister of National Security has challenged the Acting Commissioner of Police and Divisional Commanders to produce tangible and quantifiable results. New and creative strategies and approaches are desperately required to address the escalating murder rate.

The TT Chamber fully supports this call. But when one considers that National Security continues to receive the largest budgetary allocation each year, the question of value for money invariably arises, and whether we are, in fact, getting that value.

The TT Chamber believes that the appointment of a permanent Commissioner of Police would go a long way in instilling a higher level of confidence in the Police Service - not only among those of us who live and work here, but also among the very officers who serve loyally within the ranks. No Police Commissioner – and by extension, no leader - can effectively implement long term plans if he or she is uncertain about tenure.

Since the Government has indicated that it has done its part to clear the way for the engagement of a Police Commissioner, what, then, accounts for the inordinate delay in a permanent appointment? The current officeholder is on his ninth six-month extension regarding his contract – an issue on which the Police Service Commission ought to shed some light. Any recruitment process that drags on for more than four years, costing the tax-payer millions of dollars, is wholly untenable and unacceptable.

There must be no compromise – particularly during a period of economic uncertainty. Crime must be brought within manageable levels and detection rates must increase. Only then will we be well on our way to restoring some sense of safety and security among all citizens, while bolstering foreign investment in our beloved nation state.