From sister of murdered policeman: ‘I grieve Dale—but the system failed his killer’

“[…] Dale’s death forces a hard truth… I’m grieving.

“But I also feel sorrow for Ishmael’s family. Because the system failed him long before he failed himself…”

The following post on the sentencing of Ishmael Clarke for the murder of police constable Dale Mayers was submitted to Wired868 by Mayers’ sister, Denisha Mayers—a commercial consultant who lives in Jamaica at present:

To: “Rug rat”

I wrote this last week, with every intention of posting it on my brothers’ birthday: 29th December.

Surprisingly, Ishmael Clarke pleaded guilty to his murder, and was swiftly sentenced:

Today, I speak for my brother, police constable Dale “Rug Rat” Mayers.

A 23-year-old man has been charged (now sentenced) for his murder. His name is Ishmael, which means “God hears”.

There are so many “Ishmaels” in Trinidad—too many. Too many Ishmaels, living in deprived communities that are consistently being left behind.

Dale’s death forces a hard truth:

Trinidad and Tobago keeps creating young men with no opportunity and no direction—long before they ever become criminals.

I’m grieving.

But I also feel sorrow for Ishmael’s family. Because the system failed him long before he failed himself.

If we don’t fix the roots, we’ll keep burying the fruits.

For Dale.

For every young man we’re losing.

For a country that deserves better.

Let’s demand more from those we put in the drivers’ seat.

Let’s do better, please…

More from Wired868

Dr Harris: Most grassroots workers now are non-unionised—where is their voice?

In 1937 Trinidad and Tobago, life was not easy. Worker abuse, underpayment of workers, and overt racism were not uncommon. Read more

Dear Editor: Why current criminals make me miss the ‘fowl tief’

“[…] The old Caribbean fowl thief occupied a strange cultural category. He (mainly men were the culprits) was a criminal, Read more

Dear Editor: $3,000 vs $87,847—pension gap between citizens and parliamentarians is outrageous

I write on behalf of the thousands of working men and women of Trinidad and Tobago who spent their entire Read more

Dear Editor: In wake of maxi strike, can we forget politics and talk rapid rail again?

Monday morning, 5:45am, Curepe junction. Three maxis pass me—full. Fourth stops. Driver leans out: “Only Sa Wa.” I begged to Read more

Dr Harris: To Mother Trinidad and Tobago, a Mother should never promote divisiveness between her children…

Speaking at Indian Arrival Day celebrations in Penal on 30th May 2026, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar called for national unity. Read more

Warner: “Inequality in T&T is no longer subtle—we’re entering dangerous territory”

“[…] Trinidadians and Tobagonians are resilient people. But what citizens rarely tolerate for long is inconsistency. Once people begin believing Read more

Letters to the Editor

Want to share your thoughts with Wired868? Email us at editor@wired868.com.
Please keep your letter between 300 to 600 words and be sure to read it over first for typos and punctuation.
We don’t publish anonymously unless there is a good reason, such as an obvious threat of harassment or job loss.