Yasin Abu Bakr loves the soap-box. The witness box or the dock? Not quite so much. So at the post-27-July-1990-coup trial, there was no grand “History will absolve me” peroration. None was needed. Not in Clebert Brooks’ court. With no legal training, you would say that an amnesty signed because …
Read More »Dear Editor: Victims of our own conceit; man must live, so only justice can counter crime
“Corrupt politicians and unscrupulous business owners are responsible for the runaway crime rate in our country. “[…] Crime existed ages before there were government contracts and crime is the hallmark of an unregulated society, one that is full of oppression. History would show that all such societies implode over time.” …
Read More »Demming: Until PNM and UNC unite on crime, we are all sitting ducks
The societal breakdown around us is palpable. Everywhere you turn there is chaos, indiscipline and manifestations of a society about to implode. Once you leave your home, your senses are assaulted by aggressive driving, loud music, lack of courtesy and piles of garbage. These assaults are carried out by people …
Read More »Noble: The deafening sound of silence; Colleen’s cry exposes the hypocrisy all around us
In the mid-60s, Paul Simon wrote: “And in the naked light I saw/ten thousand people maybe more/ people talking without speaking/people hearing without listening/ people writing songs that voices never share/and no one dared disturb the sound of silence..” These lines are about us, our crime situation and the impertinent …
Read More »Dear Editor: Inaction from Lyons and HDC is allowing crime to spiral at Oropune Gardens!
“The blame for the spiralling crime in the community rests with the HDC. They are fully aware that they are not enforcing the rules that will allow the community to remain safe. “[…] Illegal occupancy, use of unoccupied / vandalised units, poor street lighting, poor lighting in car parks and …
Read More »Daly Bread: Blinkered view of crime; why Young’s ‘big fish’ talk fails to convince
Last week, in the course of the latest Parliamentary debate on crime, talk of ‘big fish’ came up again in the speech of the Minister of National Security, Stuart Young. First, let’s set out the context. The terms of the Opposition motion for debate asked the Senate: “to take note …
Read More »Dear Editor: Only justice can solve war between ‘haves’ and have-nots’, not ‘one shot, one kill’
“The police and the police commissioner are not supposed to declare war on the citizens of the country. They are supposed to bridge the gaps and develop and maintain good relationships with the people in the communities. “[…] The youths in our communities are not criminals by nature; it is …
Read More »Dear Editor: Make the criminals leave Temple Street, not the students!
I read recently that the Ministry of Education has ordered the Arima Hindu School, located on Temple Street to be closed, as consequence of an upsurge of crime in that community. Now I don’t want to jump the ‘gun’, since there was to be a meeting at the Arima Town …
Read More »Demming: Dr Rowley’s Carenage interview suggests gun violence trauma at epidemic level
An interview with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his constituents seemed to aggravate a deep wound in that area. What I saw and heard was a man from within the constituency reliving the pain of the shooting death of his mother WPC Bernadette James and asking for some assurance …
Read More »Young: No ‘get out of jail free’ card for Venezuelans, Minister contradicts Police Commissioner
National Security Minister Stuart Young appeared to contradict Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith on his stance with regards to the deportation of Venezuelans, as he suggested that police ‘suspicion’ would not be enough to expel the South American nations. Yesterday, Griffith told a press briefing the government’s proposed registration drive …
Read More »Daly Bread: Trying endless bramble on we; on narco ‘big fish’ and medium steel bands
We now have belated confirmation—we knew it already—that, in addition to private capital, the source of which might be swanky neighbourhoods, funds for criminal enterprise are also drawn from linkages with public officials and the largesse of Government contracts. These funds are tools used to put or keep competing political …
Read More »Manage traffic, reduce crime! Fixin’ T&T wants to discuss crime plan with CoP
“With regard to violent crime and more specifically gun violence, our plan—manage traffic reduce crime—can compliment other anti-crime initiatives, as it realises the first objective by engaging the most basic yet proactive policing. “While no where in the world could police be everywhere all the time, with minimal resources we …
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