No end to crime in TT

Forget about the army, coast guard and prisons officers.

The Prime Minister, Minister of National Security and Attorney General are all just window dressing. Up front and personal, crime is in the hands of the police. And they have to learn to like it and acknowledge it. For 2017 and beyond, they have to get a grip and stop pussy-footing. David West of the Police Complaints Authority is the least of their problems.

He has merely articulated how a tired and frustrated general public is feeling.

To date I am awaiting hearing complaints that Mr West was speaking out of turn. The truth doth indeed offend.

Maybe we are too accustomed looking at the international police television shows and expect the same results. Perhaps it is time for our detectives to enrol for training overseas. Send some of them to NYPD and the others to Scotland Yard.

I am perfectly serious.

They need to have at least one year in a foreign environment.

They should not be the most senior officers chosen. No already sitting behind the desk people should be eligible.

Consider these statistics: Chicago, USA has 2.72 million inhabitants.

For 2016 there have been 750 homicides, so far. 1.3 million persons live in TT . We crossed the 450 mark in 2016. Are we in a competition? Our Police Association people need to stop complaining about what is free speech from Citizen West. Agitate instead for some hands on training in the first world police stations.

As Lt Kojak of the US crime fighting series used to say - “Who loves yah baby?”

Lynette Joseph Diego Martin