We must take active role to prevent crime

Too many people are “negative reactors.” We are comfortable doing almost anything to defend our so-called territory, even if it means hiring hitmen to kill those who you think have wronged you, while infringing on the boundaries of others.

If someone accidently scratches your vehicle in the mall, steps on your toes in the supermarket or drives too slowly for your liking, too many Trinidadians are ready to kill. Too many people in TT are comfortable placing hits on others because they are too eager to prove what they can do, or how powerful they think they are.

The hitman business is booming in TT and heinous crime continues to be a major problem throughout the world. The number of car thieves, murderers, purse snatchers, kidnappers and fraudulent politicians is growing at an alarming rate.

Despite the many excuses made by those in power, no added resources are needed by the criminal justice system in order to accomplish a reduction in the crime rate.

Government finds it easy enough to spend money, but difficult to spend it productively.

The number of serious crimes known to the police has made a quantum leap and surveys show that many are not reported to the police. The key to making our country less dangerous and less susceptible to violent crimes is to change the rules of the game. We must reduce the enormous daily waste of time and effort that make it so expensive to arrest, convict, and punish the guilty. While the machinery of government is always plagued by weak accountability and inefficiency, the law enforcement problem has increased dramatically over the last 20 years.

Greater participation between community members and law enforcement is essential to help ensure that crime and victimisation rates begin to decline. Individuals can take steps to protect themselves and their property by attending self-defence courses, acquiring guard dogs, or engraving their property with some form of identification. Businesses can initiate crime prevention measures in the workplace, ranging from hiring well trained security officers to installing security cameras, as well as training staff to recognise potential problem situations and criminal activity.

Neighbourhood crime prevention is an important strategy in the fight against crime because it affects the fear and perception of crime as well as the actual prevalence of crime. If members of the community are participating in crime prevention, their perception and fear of crime may also reduce.

There are many different approaches to neighbourhood crime prevention. The attempt is to establish a cohesive and socially aware community where crime cannot flourish. We need to engage in a concept called target hardening.

This involves making it physically more difficult for the potential offender to engage and be successful in criminal activity.

Installation of deadbolt locks in doors, the latest anti-theft devices, using steering wheel locks for cars, and putting iron bars on windows are just a few examples of target hardening.

The recent surge of cybercrime has made it increasingly necessary to address issues of privacy. Computer users must protect themselves from victimisation by installing the latest software that has the ability to defend against potential intrusion by hackers and other cyber criminals.

Citizens can take an active role in preventing crime, preventing victimisation and reducing the fear of crime in their communities.

SIMON WRIGHT Chaguanas