“Billions of dollars have been spent on the TnT police service (TTPS) and they have been given anything they have asked for to fight crime. Yet, TTPS is probably the lowest performing police service in the world. “[…] The TTPS is a ‘dumping ground’ for people who achieved less than …
Read More »Demming: People before bricks and mortar; why more police stations aren’t the solution
Another Police Station has been commissioned, but crime and criminality continue to dig in. In a year or so, the people of Carenage will have an improved structure and a few policemen will benefit from promotions or transfers, but what will be the impact on crime and lawlessness in the …
Read More »Fixin’ T&T slams ‘dangerous, hypocritical, irresponsible’ response to murders by business community
“What exactly is the T&T Chamber of Commerce advocating? Does the T&T Chamber of Commerce condone breaking the law to enforce the law? “Will the T&T Chamber of Commerce support extrajudicial killings as a tool that should be used to address our untenable crime situation?” The following retort to the …
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 »Noble: Peddling fables; why emailgate matters, despite Griffith’s protestations
Unlike Aesop whose fables came with a moral, our leaders peddle fables with deadly consequences. We are gambling in a ‘three-card’ game which we will never win while they collude. The way we treated the conclusion of the ‘Emailgate’ issue suggests that there is no connecting line between Section 34, …
Read More »Oropune Residents: Colleen Holder has our unwavering support in face of intimidation
“As a community, our non-tolerance of intimidation and harassment is unequivocal. Ms [Colleen] Holder has our unwavering support and no resource will be spared to pursue and apprehend the culprits…” The following Letter to the Editor, which condemns the threats and criticism levelled at Oropune resident and former TV6 news anchor Colleen …
Read More »Daly Bread: Police forays in upscale territory means crime iceberg beginning to surface
Last week I examined the promise of Minister of National Security, Stuart Young, that there will be charges and “big fish being taken down in the next set of operations before year’s end.” I expressed skepticism about this promise for two reasons, one of which was my concern that the …
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: Don’t tell us how many ‘shottas’ are out there, Mr CoP; just arrest them!
Like many—dare I say most—citizens of this rock, I, too, am fed up. Fed up of the illiteracy which poses and passes for governance; fed up of the sorry excuses with which citizens are provided; fed up of excuses parroted as reasons for their massive and collective incompetence. I am …
Read More »Murder she wrote: Mills and Crime; why blame for media coverage should be spread around
The insightful story by Suzanne Mills about her mother’s struggles is useful to highlight how the media wrestles with framing the large issues of life. It raises the issue of how we define who is a good editor. Is the metric the profitability of the media house, or is it …
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 »Daly Bread: How did we become this murderous society?
I was finishing last week’s column about the unrelenting grip in which murderous crime holds our country when I read our Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley’s plaintive cry: “What have we become?” Dr Rowley was mourning the reportedly gruesome murders of a life long Tobagonian friend and his wife of …
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