The Beneficiaries of Crime

People like us, the poor and middle class in society; we want to see the economy improve; we want corruption to end, and we would like nothing better than to see crime plummet, but there are also many people with influence and affluence who thrive in this environment as they prey on our fears and exploit our insecurities for huge financial gain.

First on this list is what I call ‘Security Police’. These are members of the TTPS who take “protection money” from business people to keep them safe from criminal elements seeking to rob or do them harm. Instead of doing their jobs as members of the service, they use that same status on government time to park outside of business places at closing time for a fee, serve as private bodyguards while on duty, moonlight as bouncers at clubs and security officers at stores, and many have senior positions at security firms because without that ‘police link’, applications for precepts sit on a desk for months upon months at the Police Administration Building until a bribe is paid.

Second on the list, and competing with ‘Security Police’, are security firms. Security firms are on every street corner; the vast majority of which are not registered with the Ministry of National Security as required, nor are they even registered as businesses at the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Security firms are profiting from fear because even the smallest business person sees the need for a security presence, although the person may be unarmed and standing idly in a corner daydreaming. We even have former ministers of national security with significant ownership interests in security firms; how does a person benefiting from high crime rates convince us that he can ‘rid the country of crime’? Maybe now you understand why they were so incompetent.

Third up is one of the country’s most popular security firms.

This security firm has somehow managed to hold on to its exclusive multi-million dollar contract to transport prisoners. Security firms like this have significant influence and with them raking in millions of tax payers’ dollars, do not expect them to be vanguards for better prisons with video hearings and a system focused on restorative justice. The link between crime and benefits for this company is a direct one.

There is probably no company in the country happier about crime than this one.

Fourthly, lawyers abuse the process in courts and judges allow it without any resistance.

When some lawyers represent clients, they are not interested in getting justice; all they do is calculate how long and how much.

Simple criminal offences get dragged on for years by incompetent and crooked lawyers, aided by their equals on the bench and protected by a Law Association that is on the same level as the Police Service Social and Welfare Association. Many of these crooks exploit the flaws in our system and get rich off of crime; there is an evident correlation between increased crime and the size of their bank accounts.

Fifth on this list are the many business people who not only thrive on crime in several different ways, but they spearhead the whole operation. There are those, who, on top of ripping off customers in order to live their lavish lifestyles, facilitate the importation of drugs and guns into our country with their goods, and then they ship the drugs out, while the guns remain. These are the “big fish” that no one seems to be willing to catch because for those sitting in Parliament, financing during elections is much more important than the safety of society. Car dealers also benefit from crime as so many people, especially females, are now fearful of travelling anywhere. And if you purchase one of those ‘hot cars,’ the man who installs car alarms and GPS systems is licking his chops waiting on you to show up at his business place.

Last, but by no means least, are our politicians. Crime is the most pressing issue in our country and each election cycle, we are fed lies as to how the opposition would deal with crime better than the incumbent government. Dealing with crime is the best election message and they all sit in opposition hoping for the government to fail in that department so they could fool the foolish once more into believing anything they tell them at election time. Unfortunately, even the foolish are gaining knowledge and it is going to be much more difficult in 2020.

So, the next time you wonder why the government is not doing anything to alleviate crime, remind yourself that money talks.

j amille85@ msn.com