“Dr Varma Deyalsingh has suggested ‘arming the citizenry’ with guns when he addressed the 3rd Sitting of the Senate […] on 13 October 2022… He was cursorily cautious to include with ‘proper checks and balances’. Knowing what those proper checks and balances would be and how to keep them ‘proper’ …
Read More »Noble: Guarding the guards—“poor people [dying] to protect property from other poor people with guns”
This week, the shooting to death of the two security guards, Jeffrey Peters and Jerry Stewart, and the four bandits reminded me of Mahatma Gandhi’s quote: “The future depends on what we do in the present.” It is highly disingenuous to wring our hands and bemoan the state of our …
Read More »Daly Bread: And so it has come to pass; T&T suffering from breakdown in legal control
No, no Mr Jacob, Acting Commissioner of Police, you cannot expect us to be patient and bear with the police in tackling crime. During the 20 years of these weekly columns, violent crime—particularly murder and the impunity with which it is committed—has been a high profile subject. As long ago …
Read More »Dear Editor: ‘Monkey business’ from politicians and police could turn anyone to crime!
“[…] I want to suggest that the ‘monkeypox’ virus, which seems to have us agog at the moment, originated in Parliament—for decades home to political baboons and chimps in our country. “Whatever the host, whether the strain is/has been PNM, UNC, COP, NAR or ONR, the infected behave the same …
Read More »Ex-Pro League star, Akeem Benjamin, shot dead after alleged ‘confrontation’ with police
Former Pro League stand-out Akeem ‘Battery’ Benjamin was one of two men shot dead today during an alleged confrontation with police officers at the out-of-commission Flavourite Ice Cream compound at Boundary Road in San Juan. The second deceased man remains unidentified while a TTPS release said North Eastern Division Task …
Read More »Early Bird: Absence of malice, presence of mind and our women’s false sense of security
Fo’daymorning. There are three of them, walking side-by-side. From 30 or 40 yards away as I stride southwards along my street, I see them going west towards the park. I pay no particular attention. My mind is far. Moments before leaving home at 5.30am, I saw an overnight WhatsApp question: …
Read More »Dear Editor: Accused murderers are not ENTITLED to bail—they’re just allowed to request it
“[…] People seem to think that this latest ruling means that all persons charged with murder in Trinidad and Tobago will automatically be granted bail. This is not so. “The Court’s judgement merely means that persons charged with murder in T&T may now apply for bail…” The following Letter to …
Read More »Dear Editor: We are sitting ducks for burglars; enough is enough!
“[…] To what extent are those of us who abide by certain values and even endorse restorative justice and mediation required to continue to suffer in silence? “We are being exploited, demeaned, robbed, attacked and taken advantage of by persons whose main objective is to separate us from our property—so …
Read More »‘Strange fruit’ in Heights of Aripo; time to address our women’s pandemic of pain and powerlessness
“[…] The Heights of Aripo has long been used by criminals to dispose of bodies and evidence. In a bid to turn their neighbourhood into an unsafe haven for the criminals, the poor, frightened residents are requesting assistance and basic amenities. Nothing fancy, just streetlights, a police post and, maybe, …
Read More »Dear Editor: Demonising Andrew Morris won’t change the facts of his brutal killing
‘[…] When we begin to condone extrajudicial killings of unarmed citizens, we are saying that we choose to give up our rights. We choose to leave decisions of life and death to the court of public opinion and to the emotions of a select few …’ The following Letter to …
Read More »Elias ‘looks forward to establishing innocence’; ex-TSTT chair responds to sex charges
Former TSTT chairman and NH International executive chairman Emile Elias proclaimed his innocence in ‘a current legal matter’, according to a release by public relations firm, Ample, which has, it says, been retained by the 84-year-old businessman. By ‘current legal matter’, Ample is referring to one charge of sexual penetration …
Read More »US government donates crime scene simulation facility to TTPS
“[…] The new crime scene simulation facility will enable investigators to hone their skills in typical environments where crime occurs, including a home and a bank. This investment will contribute to additional arrests, better collection of evidence, and more successful prosecutions …” The following press release was submitted to Wired868 …
Read More »