Live Wire captures Dillon’s Dick-strutting tour and brush with Unruly Enterprise youth

Just so that there could be no doubt as to the purpose of Friday’s walkabout in Enterprise, Chaguanas, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, chest puffed out, walked with Deputy Commissioner (Crime) Wayne Dick swinging breezily at his side—hanging slightly to the right.

Dick was massive. Verily, Dillon was well pleased with himself.

Unruly Isis? Rasta City? Meet Babylon Boops.

Photo: Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon. (Copyright Jamaica Observer)
Photo: Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon.
(Copyright Jamaica Observer)

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, even strong, successful corporations can struggle outside of their own turfs, as they try to transplant a winning formula. Colorado-based brewery, Coors, for instance, had trouble selling beers to a Spanish-speaking audience. The company eventually discovered that the Spanish version of its slogan “Turn It Loose” translated into a colloquial term for having diarrhoea.

And, with that imagery in mind, Mr Live Wire turns now to Dillon’s staged dick-measuring competition in Enterprise.

Abdul “Krysis” Wakeel, a self-confessed Unruly Isis gang member, was trying to share his street knowledge with the media in the hope of adding context to a recent explosion of violence.

“It wasn’t a problem that started jes so. People didn’t just get up one day and pick up a gun and say, listen, we’re going and kill everybody in Bagaloo. And people in Bagaloo didn’t just get up one day, pick up their guns and say we going and kill people in Crown Trace.

“It have a solution to the problem but the problem is… We seeing all the violence and we thinking to weself the problem is the violence. But it had something that lead to the violence…”

Just weeks away from SEA examinations, Mr Live Wire would like to give Standard Five students the first crack at this multiple choice poser:

If Dillon was in Enterprise with the intention of dealing with the crime situation on the ground, should he:

Photo: Unruly Isis gang member Abdul "Krysis" Wakeel.
Photo: Unruly Isis gang member Abdul “Krysis” Wakeel.

(a) listen attentively to the local gang member as he gave his view on the genesis of violent crime in the area

(b) interrupt him

(c) troll him mercilessly

(d) show off his big, brash Dick

(e) all of the above, barring anything that might possibly lead to a constructive outcome.

Well, judge for yourself whether Dillon elevated the conversation on gang violence or destroyed any chance the media had of getting useful insights  from the streets.

Dillon: “You are not the fellah that was on the video and thing?”

Wakeel: “Yeah.”

Dillon: “You were on the video talking a certain way?”

Wakeel: “Yeah.”

Dillon: “You were the person, right?”

Wakeel: “Yeah. That was me.”

Dillon: “You were the one who has been talking like that?”

Wakeel: “Yeah.”

To be fair, Dillon was not necessarily trolling. Using history as the guide, Mr Live Wire’s view is that the former brigadier has already outed himself as being as sharp as a butter knife.

Photo: President Anthony Carmona (right) swears in National Security Minister Edmund Dillon.
Photo: President Anthony Carmona (right) swears in National Security Minister Edmund Dillon.

President Anthony Carmona had to swear him in twice as National Security Minister in September 2015—and, two years later, he still appears not to have come to grips with his portfolio.

On Friday at least, Dillon was trying to make a point.

Dillon: “Talking in a certain way that bring this population in a sense of unease.”

This time, he dispensed with the question mark.

Wakeel: “No, well you have to understand something…”

Dillon: “No, no, no, no. Wait. This is not a question of understanding. I am talking to you. You are the person who has been doing that. You are responsible for that. Nobody else… You are responsible for that right? You are responsible for that. Don’t blame it on no situation and no circumstances.”

The DIY manual for making a disastrous entrance into a new market gives step one as ignore local experts in your respective field.

Dillon was off to a flying start; Wakeel was confused.

Wakeel: “It is obvious it is me speaking there…”

Dillon: “You are responsible for that.”

Wakeel: “Yeah but I…”

Dillon: “What do you intend to change?”

Dick (hanging to Dillon’s right): “You responsible or not? You responsible.”

Such sophisticated interrogation. If this is the level of cross-examination that takes place at police stations around the country, is it any wonder that so many suspects end up being  released without charge?

Dillon and Dick were unwilling—or genuinely unable—to grasp what Wakeel was trying to say. Sharp as a tack, however, the younger man immediately spotted what the poldier duo was getting at. He tried to get at the big picture.

Photo: National Security Minister Edmund Dillon (right) trolls gang member Abdul "Krysis" Wakeel on his home turf in Crown Trace while Deputy Commissioner (Crime) Wayne Dick (background) looks on.
Photo: National Security Minister Edmund Dillon (right) trolls gang member Abdul “Krysis” Wakeel on his home turf in Crown Trace while Deputy Commissioner (Crime) Wayne Dick (background) looks on.

Wakeel: “Nobody can’t implement me [or be] blaming me [to paint the picture that] what happen in this community is my fault.”

Dillon would have none of it. He wanted things nice and small. Except for Dick.

Dillon: “No, no, no. I am talking about the video…”

Wakeel: “You can’t implement me and make me feel…”

Dick: “No, no, no. Listen. No disrespect. We are talking to you with respect… We don’t (thump) deal (thump) with (thump) disrespect. (He beat his chest after each word). No disrespect. If we talking to you in a order, respond in an order.”

Funny how lawmen are always telling young men and women not to behave aggressively towards others in a juvenile, misguided belief that respect is an important intangible worth fighting over.

Slapping his chest in front of the television cameras, Dick was showing Wakeel who the real gang leader was on that day. Bad man don’t take no backchat!

On the other side of the young man, Dillon was speaking his piece at the same time.

Dillon: “Daiz all I want. You’re the one in the video and you said ‘yes’. And therefore what you did in the video was to send a sense of unease. And therefore what I am saying to you (is) don’t blame any circumstance for that. You and only you made a choice to make that video… No circumstance made you do anything. Unless you inherently want to do it, you always have a choice. To do or not to do.”

Was this a demonstration of ‘good cop, bad cop’ interrogation technique? Or was it more like classic ‘self-absorbed minister, self-absorbed deputy commissioner’?

Photo: An (cough, cough) incorruptible lawman.
Photo: An (cough, cough) incorruptible lawman.

An imam, part of Wakeel’s entourage, chimed in.

Imam: “The video was made a very long time ago and he did apologise for it.”

Dillon: “Well, I don’t know about the apology.”

Wakeel: “Well, I made a live apology. So you saw the video where they were talking all the bad things about me but you didn’t see the video where I […] was revealing all the police officers in crookedness, [where] I telling you all the officers who getting paid by certain drug lords, [where] I telling you who all the drug lords is, who bringing in all the gun?”

Maybe Dillon was too busy listening to Sacha Singh’s DIY “Mistress 101” audio blogs to get around to a former gang leader sharing information on corrupt policemen and the mechanics of the underworld.

And, curiously, Dillon didn’t seem terribly interested in hearing more about seedy policemen on the day either. Nor was Dick, who seemed only concerned with offences against etiquette.

Dillon: “Are you prepared to provide all that information?”

Dick: “You could talk to me right now.”

Dillon: “Are you prepared to provide it?”

Wakeel must have felt as though he was in the Twilight Zone.

Wakeel (mouth open with an incredulous expression): “But I went live… And the video live?”

DIY manual for making a disastrous entrance into a new market step two is this: Be very selective about what you hear.

Dillon: “The ACP of Crime is here. Are you prepared to bring that information?”

Wakeel: “Of course.”

Dillon: “Are you prepared?”

Wakeel: “Without a doubt.”

Dillon: “Fine. Well, you are well on your way to changing the behaviours.”

Photo: A post on Abdul Wakeel's Facebook page.
Photo: A post on Abdul Wakeel’s Facebook page.

Mr Live Wire thinks Wakeel was going around in circles trying to talk to Dillon and Dick. Remarkably, the young man didn’t think so. He still tried to make a point on the crime situation in Enterprise.

Wakeel: “The problem is… I want the world to know this, the Boss…”

Dick: “Not the Boss, Mr Dick. I am not a boss.”

Which, of course, was not true. Dick is a boss. But, on Friday, the presence in Enterprise of the high-ranking police was not about truth; it was about posturing, about appearances, about how it go look..

DIY manual for making a disastrous entrance into a new market step three: Dismiss local culture and idioms.

Ford once had a tough time selling Pinto cars in Brazil. As it turned out, ‘pinto’ in Portuguese is slang for ‘small penis.’

Of course, Wakeel was not trying to make Dick feel small.  On the streets ‘The Boss’ is a term of respect. But one got the distinct impression that the National Security Minister and his entourage were not there to listen—but to be seen to be imposing themselves.

Wakeel: “Mr Dick, we are not the ones. People keep saying we are the ones in Crown Trace who are bringing in all the drugs, who paying the police and who have all the guns. Now literally, people who living in Crown Trace…”

Dick (interjecting): “Listen you can talk. We understand the passion. But a little respect.”

Wakeel: “Yes…”

Dick (interjects again): “Hold on. (waving a hand in the direction of the television cameras) You seeing the thing in front of you?”

Wakeel: “Yes.”

Dick: “Iz the nation. So if you intend to influence the nation into thinking and believing in what you’re saying, show that form of respect. Let we start from now and we can talk better.”

Photo: Unruly Isis gang member Abdul Wakeel.
Photo: Unruly Isis gang member Abdul Wakeel.

Because, as we know, eloquent language can make buffoonery sound marvellous. Which might be why the media seemed to think that Dillon’s tour went well.

DIY manual for making a disastrous entrance into a new market step four is this: Dismantle existing leadership structures rather than engage and work through them.

Wakeel: “Alright, The Boss.”

Dick: “Not The Boss…”

(Everyone laughs. Wakeel,  frustrated, looks sheepish).

Wakeel: “Mr Dick…”

Dick: “Not the boss.”

The young man tried to explain that the videos of him spouting obscenities and promising to violently defend his turf were at least two years old. He suggested, in his own unsophisticated way, that he might be the victim of character assassination with a particular end in view.

Wakeel: “[…] Why? To make me look bad. Because they see I’m speaking against the corruption in this community…”

(True to form, Dick again cut the younger man short as soon as the subject of corruption is raised).

Dick: “Let me share this with you. And I’m being frank with you, I’m being frank with you. Investigations are and will continue in respect of those videos. My advice to you is desist from doing that.”

Imam: “That was years ago…”

Dick (ignoring the Imam’s interjection): “Desist. Hear me good. De-sist from doing so. My job is to treat with crime and, while I am willing to work with you or anybody in reducing crime, I am not going to tolerate any form of disrespect whatsoever from whoever in this country. You understand me?”

Photo: Senior members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service during an address by then National Security Minister John Sandy in 2010. Involved in serious discussion about protecting and serving? (Courtesy News.Gov.TT)
Photo: Senior members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service during an address by then National Security Minister John Sandy in 2010. Involved in serious discussion about protecting and serving?
(Courtesy News.Gov.TT)

And that, almost certainly, was the only reason that The Law was in Enterprise. Because it felt disrespected. What they wanted was respect, not to be bothered  with information about crooked policemen or drug lords.

If Wakeel knew what was good for him, he would stop posting anything that made the TTPS look bad.

By now, the fight had left the young man and he appeared to have given up on sharing any information with the high-ranking National Security duo.

So this one question for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley from Mr Live Wire: If Edmund Dillon is the answer, will you remind us what the problem is? Please?

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About Mr. Live Wire

Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.

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238 comments

  1. Lasana Liburd, having dealt with the ground for a long time, this should not have been done in front camera. This should’ve been a covert scenario. I would not be surprised if that individual does not see Christmas.

  2. Four shooting deaths within five days in Enterprise last week resulted in an increased police and army presence as an uneasy calm prevails.

    Residents said what used to be a peaceful area appears to be a war-zone and now the lives of innocent and law-abiding residents are at risk.

    “All of us used to live nice, nice, nice before,” another Dass Trace resident told Sunday Newsday.

    “Imagine we grow up here, and men who we grew up with telling us we are not allowed in certain streets. They (gang members) are more vicious than vipers. It dangerous out here. It mad. It is not as it was before. Before I go anywhere now, I pray (sic).” On Friday, National Security Minister, a former head of the Defence Force, Edmund Dillon, met and engaged an alleged member of the Unruly ISIS gang during a tour with other top ranking officials.

  3. Regrettably laughable and sad at the same time. A duo of dunces :/

  4. HAHAHAHAHAHA..Trini people doh know what dey want. Much better at telling yuh what dey doh want..

  5. It was ridiculous. He spent more time trying to talk over and talk down the guy without allowing him to give his point of view being he on the ground and might possibly be a part of the solution. His actions speak volumes to a big part of the problem in Trinidad. Politicians not willing to hear what they are. Saying and then working with the people, yes including gang member’s to come up with a solution. Rather their approach is top down, shut up we have the answer, you alone are the problem. Until that change. Nothing will.

    • Not sure that Dillon even realizes how badly he sabotaged his personal brand with this visit. The good thing is his vacuousness is now more apparent to the population.

    • But keep in mind the background of these ppl, the service is structured that way-formal, top down. How else can you assert your position and authority if an alleged gang member gets the best of you. Win the battle ((?) lose the war. While there was an offer for the person to meet him, it smacked of sarcasm. He could easily have met the person after the meeting and had a one on one discussion, as I am sure the person would be reluctant to go to their space for a meeting, fearing a possible set-up.
      Given the high handed and arrogant approach from senior members, can the protective services expect the public to cooperate with them, especially if they are concerned about being subjected to such behaviour by junior officers as well?

  6. Typical of the TTPS and Trinidad in general. Freedom of speech is muffled. Instead of leveraging the potential insider knowledge of this individual to pursue possible wrongdoers, he is belittled on camera by an authoritative Minister of National Security who seemed more focused on presenting himself as a no-nonsense disciplinarian, instead of a man bent on pursuing all leads in the fight against corruption within the TTPS and crime in general. There will be no progress in the fight against crime until Trinidad brings in the expertise necessary to counter crime. The “big stick”, headmaster, colonial approach to crime fighting is going no where.

  7. Political window dressing and intimidation is what it was …….. they had no really intention to listen and provide real assistance. …. where was the member of parliament for the constituency on this visit why wasnt he the first line of intervention

  8. Tragically funny 😀 🙁 🙂

  9. Why is it I was left with the impression that Wayne Dick was purposefully not allowing the comments to continue in an attempt to sidestep what the ‘fella’ had to say?

  10. I pray those two gentlemen find it deep down in their heart to at least take a listen to what the community has to say , rather than barge in with the repulsive ‘ ole nigga ‘ attitude.

  11. Campaign finance legislation introduction may be one of the solutions to our dilemma. Wouldn’t it be good to know who are the financiers that dictate the selection of ministers and the national security decisions that are made that adversely affect taxpayers’ lives; while being economically beneficial to the financiers?

  12. When I look at this video, I see someone who has been given a position of authority, however, lacks the soft skills for the job. A professional skilled in the art of engaging people and negotiating skills would have handled this meeting much better.

  13. To get a job, it is critical that applicants and appointees have some past experience that can add value to the position. What value does Dillion add to the safety and security of T&T?

  14. If the criteria for selecting government ministers was more robust, our society would be much more progressive.

  15. The takeaway from a business management perspective is, whether one is a Prime Minister, CEO, or VP, don’t hire a friend if you know you don’t have the nuts to fire her/him when they’re not performing.

  16. That Dillon-Dick PR strategy was worse than a bad hair weave. Watching a few episodes of ‘Law and Order’ before might have helped.

  17. Wanna be teachers instead of executing their jobs. Ego trips much and people dying daily.

  18. Look closer and you will see plenty suggestions as to how to operate in a different environment if you want to succeed, Clyde Paul.

  19. Too many comments and no solution offered.

  20. Why dont you all wait and see the outcome of the visit to Enterprise? One minute is Dillon only talking the next minute he must resign he has no plan. Jeez !

  21. Of course, Lasana Liburd , that’s why I says ‘majority’. I know, but wired868’s complaints about JA doesn’t negate my argument.

  22. Richard Zen O’Brien, although I do accept your point as mostly true, I think Wired868 has been consistent on this issue: http://wired868.com/2014/08/22/no-justice-in-police-slayings-ex-magistrate-says-close-legal-loopholes-instead/

  23. Dillion was wrong and he should be criticised for his behaviour yesterday. However, we must accept that Dillion’s behaviour mirrors how the majority of the country thinks about crime and law enforcement. There’s more ‘Dillion’ in us than we may be prepared to accept.
    Let’s imagine, for one second, Dillion had done option A in the SEA quiz, wouldn’t the reaction have been ‘Dillion is giving audience to criminals’ or something to that effect? If you say ‘no’, I’ll tell you why most of you may be lying to yourself: yesterday was NOT the first day Krysis made those allegations and he was NOT the first person to say those things. People, like Krysis, have been telling us this FOR YEARS and we never listened! Did we listen when families and witnesses were telling us that the shooting victims were ‘unarmed’ or ‘offered no resistance’? In the attempted jail break 2 yrs ago we all heard about the number of people who are just in prison without charges or indictments, nothing! We didn’t listen. For years people have been telling us about police brutality and corruption -just as Krysis is saying- and we never listened. Regardless of what they have been saying, the majority approach for ‘dealing with crime’ is to show force. The majority of the country didn’t complain when JA in Central was bringing back dead bodies on a regular basis and guys like Krysis were warning us about the police back then.
    So we need to be honest and accept that, subconsciously, we see Krysis and company the same way Dillion and Dick sees them, as people who should be ‘put in their place’. It’s the same mindset that has the country seeking the death penalty as a solution. It’s a mindset that accepts force as the guide law enforcement.
    Again, Dillion should be condemned for the wrong approach, but would we have accepted him doing what was ‘right’?

  24. You can’t disrespect and threaten police on a viral video then walk up to him and talk like you a saint. Dillon do not owe this terrorist any respect. When you come up to my face with that you going to take what you get. Allyuh does fret me yes complain about crime but feeling sorry for the criminal. Look let me go and shell some Tobago peas yes.

  25. Smh. No hope here. Just useless posturing for cameras.

  26. Dillon is a lost case. His behavior demonstrtes clearly one of the prime reasons crime will go unresolved and continue to escalate. His stupidity, ignorance and arrogance negatively affect the performance of hard working TTPS personnel and alienate citizens from the crime solving process while allowing corrupt police offficers and army personnel to operate at free-will.

  27. Essentially, Dick and Dillon are saying: Just stop making those Facebook posts and we will leave you alone. That is his message to a gangster.
    It isn’t the spiralling murder rate that is the problem. It is his Facebook posts that causing the unease.
    Maybe the clowns should just report him to Mark Zuckerberg and all will be well with T&T I suppose.

  28. My problem is you and your nitpicking. When you are dealing with a bunch of a–holes that have no regards for life i dont think you should take them to the Hyatt and whine & dine with them to get them to behave. Sometimes you need to let an asshole know that we not afraid of him

  29. I do not get impress nor disappointed (like you) whenever they do something.

  30. Lasana, as usual your expectations for Gov’t ministers are very high. Somehow what,where and whenever they do or say something it is always the wrong approach but for some strange reason when the killings happening i dont hear or read your opinions. So is damn when they do and same when they dont. hmmm

  31. We. Don’t. Deal. With. No. Disrespect!
    Policeman sound like gangster there.

  32. Trinidad needs UN intervention … we are incapable of self governance.

  33. If it weren’t so sad what’s happening, it’d be funny yes.

  34. I can completely understand why the Enterprise video and Sasha Singh’s were competing for views … each is as trivial and unappealing as the other.

  35. Also I noticed most people being critical exclusively of Dillon and Dick, but I think what people should keep in mind is that if someone is the professed leader of a group that calls itself The Unruly Isis Gang chances are he isn’t leading a choir.

    That whole episode was a whole lot of nothing!

  36. As a crime reporter, when I went on the streets I wouldn’t wear a shirt and tie. But I would when I had to cover stuff in court.
    The idea is to make people I am dealing with as comfortable and open as possible. You don’t get as much from someone who feels awkward around you.
    That clearly is not the TTPS way.

  37. I remember Scotland Yard I believe, did a study of the Trinidad and Tobago police and came to the conclusion that the ttps were the most colonial group they’ve ever seen. More concerned with stripes and uniform colour than anything else.
    Rank ruled.

  38. Playing ‘Bad cop, and Worse cop’ ??????

  39. While it was important to stamp your authority. I felt they really went to undue lengths to stress on respect when clearly the guy showed no disrespect to either of them. Remember the guy did not come to your office. You went to the streets to meet him. How does “de boss” upset you?

  40. You see where the problem is eh..2 dunces who really dont know their a$$ from their elbow

  41. I not able nah …. how did so many quenks end up in positions of authority?
    No one is dealing with crime, what they are dealing with is creating the perception that they are dealing with crime. It’s can be compared to the difference between cooking a meal and painting a picture of a cooked meal …. one go yuh full belly, the other go full yuh eye!

  42. Dillion should have never interrupted the guy. It’s as though they are only on PR and don’t want to solve the problems plaguing the land. I’m so disappointed in that clueless man that I feel embarrassed to say to my friends abroad he’s the Minister of such an important portfolio. Shame on him, Dick and the rest of them.

  43. It seems to me that the National Security Minister has some explaining to do; this piece of journalism does NOT flatter him.

    But I think you missed a trick, Mr LIve Wire. You didn’t suggest why he needed to have big, bad Dick at his side. I think I know the answer; National Security’s initials are ED!

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