Plenty plans, little action

WHILE Prime Minister Patrick Manning was addressing the nation on his Government’s anti-crime initiative on Wednesday night, gang members were shooting it out at Sawmill Avenue, Barataria, engaging in a gun battle which left two men dead and another wounded in the leg. The results of the clash sent the year’s murder toll to 147, 14 more than were killed during the same period in 2003. The bullet-ridden bodies served only to crush whatever hope law abiding citizens may have derived from the crime fighting measures announced by the PM in his national broadcast. Indeed, so weary and dispirited have members of the TT public become over the crime menace and the apparent inability of the government and police to deal with it, that they would feel a sense of relief only when they see tangible results and significant success in the varied efforts being announced to deal with this terrifying problem.

Our society has grown tired, even cynical, of the multiplicity of plans, campaigns, crackdowns, special operations and initiatives presented and implemented over recent years without any noticeable effect in reducing the country’s disturbing crime rate. The general feeling, it seems to us, over the PM’s newest initiatives is simply to wait and see. Granted the refusal of the UNC Opposition to support the effort aimed at transforming the police service into a more effective force was a virtual act of betrayal; the fact is that the responsibility for protecting the society from the trauma of criminals is solely that of the Government and they must get on with the task. The PM has now stressed his government’s determination to make the police stronger than the criminals by providing the necessary financial resources.

But should this not have been done a long time ago, when the need for greater mobilty, increased equipment and technology, better training was equally as obvious and urgent as it is now? Mr Manning himself admits that as far back as 1994 the government had been advised by Scotland Yard that it was possible to eradicate the drug trade because of the small size of the country. Now, he says, “We have decided to do just that.” While it may be useful to have legislative backing for some of the measures proposed, we can see no useful purpose in bringing back to Parliament a motion that would deny bail to all kidnappers. The UNC opposition has already rejected this proposal which would require a special majority and, having regard to their ridiculous performance on the Police Reform Bills, why is the administration setting its self up for another embarrassing defeat? In any case, should not the kidnappers be found first before considering the question of bail? The country is both hurting and mystified over the failure of the police to find victims Vijay Persad and Rodney Deosaran after such a long time. Right now, in fact, legislation can hardly be a priority.

The immediate need, as we see it, is for implementation not only of the security measures that Mr Manning has already announced for protecting our territorial waters from criminal incursions but, even more importantly, of equipping the Police Service with the full range of facilities it needs to deal with criminals “in the field” including greater mobility, the “cutting edge technology” and improved intelligence that the PM has mentioned. If, as Scotland Yard has pointed out, the small size of TT should facilitate the eradication of the drug trade, why not the crime of kidnapping also? One of the main reasons must be a failure of intelligence. Some months ago, Mr Manning promised to place 1,000 new policemen on our streets. Where are they? Instead, we are grateful for this sentry service being provided by our soldiers. The government must now concentrate on improving its implementation record.