A horrendous year indeed

The death of 18-year-old Mark Rattan epitomises the past year for Trinidad and Tobago. Mark had stopped off at 9 pm on his way home to get a box of chicken and chips. A band of five criminals, perhaps seizing the moment or perhaps having been stalking him, bundled the young man into his SUV in an apparent kidnap attempt. But Mark fought back and was beaten and stabbed to death, becoming a kidnap victim who was murdered. And it is those two crimes, kidnapping and murder, which define the past year. Up to press time, this country had recorded 239 kidnappings and 385 murders for 2005.

To be sure, there have been certain flashes of light within the dark cloud now enveloping our country. Outstanding among these are the victory of the Soca Warriors and the Test Match record set by Brian Lara last month. Also noteworthy was the high number of first places taken by local students in the worldwide Advanced Level examinations. More generally, the health and education sectors seem to be progressing, with new equipment and programmes in the former, and expansion of the tertiary sector in the latter. Also, most of the country’s economic indicators continue to look strong.

Unfortunately, none of these positives outweighs the underlying realities of our society. The financial indicators may look healthy, but the fact that our wealth is generated mainly from the oil and gas sector also skews the economy. Thus, the cost of living continues to rise and the poverty figures show no apparent drop. The skewed distribution of wealth is a key factor in the epidemic of kidnappings, in that it has made this crime a lucrative industry. The ongoing murders, the majority of which are gang-related, are driven by the distribution of monies from the public purse and the illegal drug trade. As with violent crime, so too with white-collar crime, as pension cheque theft, credit card fraud, and official corruption continue to be major concerns. And, in all categories of crime, the detection, solution, and conviction rates remain dismally low.

All of this has reached a stage where calls for draconian measures are becoming louder. The Chamber of Commerce, in a statement issued two days ago, called for such measures, without specifying what it wants implemented. And Attorney General John Jeremie has promised that hangings will soon resume, with that call being echoed by Independent Senator Parvatee Ammolsingh-Mahabir. Such calls are a reflection of desperation and, while it is true that we live in desperate times, this does not mean that draconian measures will be effective. All the available evidence shows that hangings do not help reduce crime. A state of emergency might temporarily bring down murders and kidnappings, but these ills would surely resume after the state of emergency was lifted. The recently passed Bail Bill has modified a constitutional right but is unlikely to help reduce kidnappings.

What is beyond dispute is that we cannot treat with these issues in 2006 as we have in 2005.  Tonight, as people see off the past year at their usual fetes and limes, most will have a sense of caution, even fear, under their outward cheer. That unease, that feeling that the social fabric is unravelling, is now endemic to the national sensibility. And this cannot continue. The government and other institutions must examine their attitudes and policies, decide what must be changed, and resolve to do better in the new year. Mark Rattan fought his attackers. That may or may not have been wise, but the country must certainly follow his example in treating with those who are gradually destroying Trinidad and Tobago.