Decisive action on crime now

The spiralling murder rate seems to suggest that we are nowhere near to finding a solution to this problem, in spite of the many initiatives and millions of dollars that have been spent on national security over the years.

The now daily mayhem is creating fear and panic in the hearts of our citizens. Even our children are being innocently murdered.

Young Cyon Paul will forever remind us of the out-of-control madness that has enveloped our land.

Within recent times crime “hot spots” are emerging everywhere and it is now difficult to identify any one area as such. The brazen criminal gangs have taken pattern from international terrorist movements and are posting videos of their sophisticated weapons on social media for all to see. They hail from Beetham, Sea Lots, Point Fortin, Caroni, Chaguanas, Maracas and other areas; note, not the usual “hot spots”.

Rowley in describing the current situation as unacceptable is also on record as saying that crime is not a switch that one can turn on or off.

I concur but hasten to add that for far too long the switch has been turned on, and every law-abiding citizen is afraid that the dreaded light will shine on them some day.

The Leader of the Opposition has requested collaboration with the Government on the crime situation; de ja vu. One remembers back in 2013, Rowley called for similar talks with then Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to treat with the issues of crime.

The talks were held and in spite of promising the country “we will confront this challenge together and we will overcome it together,” the situation has remained the same.

Rowley is today welcoming the collaboration as he must, but has warned against any attempt to score political points, given the local government elections due in October. Hopefully, we can rise above that.

We must maintain our tenacity in our quest to turn the tide on crime. The current situation calls for decisive action, lest we fall deeper into the abyss of despair and hopelessness. We must therefore rally around our leaders and press them to leave no stone unturned in the search for measures to combat this persistent enemy.

I do hope that the upcoming Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas will produce measures that can be speedily implemented to assist TT in our fight against the criminal element, but as citizens we must do our part and not remain passive bystanders.

Garvin Cole Tobago