“A lawless, indisciplined and corrupt nation cannot fight crime.” Pastor Clive Dottin, The People’s Roundtable, January 2024. At The People’s Roundtable, Pastor Dottin discussed the distinction between a street military revolt and a spiritual revival. He saw the nation as having a decision: either we allow the streets to be …
Read More »Noble: The problem with Dr Paul Richards’ grilling of Police Commissioner
“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” Milan Kundera, a Czech and French novelist, in The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979). The book discusses how people tolerate the torture and suffering over which they have no control. These lessons apply to us as …
Read More »Dear Editor: Senator Richards must prove allegations against Alexander, or apologise!
“[…] Dr Paul Richards is not only an independent senator, but also a very experienced journalist. He ought to know better. “He has an obligation to provide the evidence [against Senior Superintendent Roger Alexander from the TV6 Beyond the Tape programme], or publicly withdraw his statement and apologise…” The following …
Read More »Ex-Presentation College star denies role in Sapphire’s attempted murder
A former Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 team captain intends to clear his name after being informally identified as a person of interest in the shooting of 21-year-old Sapphire David. According to the police report, a gunman shot David on the right side of her chest in La Brea on …
Read More »Daly Bread: Who they fooling? Crime isn’t priority for PNM or UNC
A reader, who enjoys the historical perspective contained in many of these columns, asked me recently whether there is a program that I use to source those of my columns written many years ago. The answer is that as a weekly columnist writing in the information age for 21 years, …
Read More »Daly Bread: Mamaguy in reflection season—TTPS, Gov’t and Business community must improve
There is a discernible season, which commences on Independence Day on 31 August and ends when the annual National Awards Ceremony takes place on the evening of Republic Day on 24 September, which falls next Sunday. That period may be categorised as a season because it characterized by certain events …
Read More »Daly Bread: Here we go again—Police Vetting Unit is doomed to fail
The latest responses of the current Government and the Commissioner of Police to the crippling wave of murder and violent crime are the lame products of two decades of denial and a current desperation to say anything that will deflect the pressing questions about crime. The hard but unpleasant truth …
Read More »“Outspoken and real”, “he kept us laughing”; Police FC and Caledonia remember Kemron Purcell
Police FC defender and community police officer Kemron Purcell died this morning in a vehicular accident, after his car slammed into the traffic light near the intersection of Mausica Road and the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in D’Abadie. Purcell, 33, was an unused substitute in Police’s 2-1 win over Central FC …
Read More »Noble: Central Gov’t in its present format doesn’t work—oh, gorm, man! Lead, nah!
Disappointment and impatience cloak our land in the run-up to the Local Government elections. Oh, Gorm Man! When will we get serious about our life, children, and future? A Lloyd Best quote captures our dilemma, which is the appalling lack of imagination and gravitas to tackle our nation’s problems: “[…] …
Read More »Dear Editor: Community policing can be “effective strategy”; but here’s why it’s not working yet
“[…] Communities are diverse, and their needs and challenges can vary significantly. Addressing complex social issues such as poverty, drug abuse, mental health, or gang violence requires a holistic approach involving multiple agencies, organizations, and resources beyond the scope of traditional policing. “[…] Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of community …
Read More »Vaneisa: Indifference has a cost; public servants must serve the people
Boorish, sexist, callous and unsympathetic responses to complaints sum up the way the public generally feels treated when they approach our state institutions. A few examples might show how widespread it is. At a recent community crime meeting in Warrenville hosted by the TTPS, residents from Cunupia and Warrenville spoke …
Read More »Dear Editor: Here’s why communities protest police killings more than murders
“[…] Police officers represent the state and are entrusted with the responsibility to protect and serve the community. When a citizen is killed by the police, it can be perceived as an abuse of power, eroding trust between the authorities and the public. “Protests can serve as a way for …
Read More »