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President Kangaloo’s cry for united crime fight T&T

The Editor 
T&T Guardian


T&T President Kangaloo's call for a cohesive effort in combating crime is rooted in the overwhelming anguish and distress experienced by individuals and communities.
During the recent ceremonial inauguration of the fourth session of the 12th Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, President Christine Kangaloo aptly conveyed her optimism for enhanced bipartisan cooperation.
The appeal made by the seventh President of T&T for increased cooperation between political parties is a common occurrence for the commencement of parliamentary sessions in Commonwealth nations, particularly those that follow the Westminster system of governance based on the first-past-the-post electoral method.

By doing so,the President expressed the collective distress and hopelessness of a society that struggled to grasp the relentless and inexplicable acts of violence, including murders and house invasions,that constantly challenged its moral and emotional well-being.The indirect ramifications of criminal activities encompass a range of adverse consequences, including the physical, psychological, and enduring financial detriments experienced by both crime victims and their families.Additionally, the detrimental effects extend to diminished productivity and salaries, as well as a reduced quality of life resulting from the experience of victimization.The advent of the pandemic and the subsequent implementation of public health measures undeniably caused significant disruptions to daily routines and imposed a considerable hardship on individuals, particularly those residing in impoverished communities.There is a compelling rationale to suggest that preexisting animosity was amplified and novel animosities were engendered. There was a subsequent increase in instances of violent crime.Poverty the mother of crime.

In his capacity as the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago,PM Keith Rowley bears the obligation of taking the initial step in establishing communication with the Opposition Leader,Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in order to commence the process of fostering consensus over the government's legislative program aimed at combating crime.
In the preceding year,the Director of Public Prosecutions acknowledged a persistent and enduring dearth of legal professionals within his department.Although this matter generated significant controversy, no following communication has been made regarding the initiation of a recruitment campaign aimed at resolving this concern.Scelerophobia, derived from the Latin term "scelero" denoting 'crime' or 'wickedness',refers to an apprehensive state characterized by an irrational fear of individuals engaged in illicit activities such as burglars, robbers,and criminals.Individuals may experience unjustified concerns regarding the possibility of a home burglary,leading to difficulties in obtaining restful sleep and a sense of security within their own residence.

The inadequate rate of murder detection in Trinidad and Tobago.If within a sample of 100 homicides,only 13 perpetrators are successfully captured and held accountable for their deeds,it follows that 87 offenders remain at large, posing a potential threat to society by potentially engaging in more acts of violence.The predominant emphasis in scholarly investigations pertaining to violent crime is directed towards the examination of homicide, as well as rape and sexual assault. Homicide is widely regarded as the most grave offence due to its inherent nature of unlawfully causing the death of an individual.
Efforts should be made to expedite the judicial process by eliminating unnecessary adjournments, save in cases of utmost significance.
It is evident, therefore, that combating crime necessitates a comprehensive strategy that concurrently addresses all vulnerabilities,while maintaining a certain level of expediency,gravity, and tenacity.In conjunction with the possibility of fatality,incapacitation,and other bodily harm,those who manage to escape acts of violence face physical anguish and distress, while also potentially encountering psychological turmoil and a diminished standard of living.

In an interview with PM Rowley,he was questioned about his perspective on the current crime scenario and the amount of homicides.As evident,"I have abstained from participating in the discourse surrounding the quantification of homicides. It is noteworthy that I collaborate closely with the National Security Minister,thereby possessing a comprehensive understanding of our collective efforts and the underlying issues plaguing our nation.Consequently,I refrain from engaging in discussions that involve the enumeration of isolated incidents, as my stance remains firm that even a count of 10 murders is unequivocally excessive."The withdrawal of inhabitants from community life is a common occurrence, which exacerbates the erosion of people' influence over the neighbourhood."Certain observers claim that the apprehension surrounding criminal activities has played a role in the overall deterioration of the quality of life in Trinidad and Tobago, hence impeding personal liberties and giving rise to a societal environment characterized by heightened security measures.In general, women and the elderly tend to exhibit elevated degrees of dread of crime, a phenomenon commonly related to their perceived heightened physical vulnerability.

Reference (Clemente & Kleiman, 1977).

In reply to sgtdjones

There countries in the caribbean that a much poorer than trinidad. you don't see the level of crime and criminality that pervades our society today. And crime is still limited, for the most part to a few areas. point fortin barely has crime, so too does fyzabad and rio claro. So let us not lose sight of the fact that crime has more to do with lawlessness than poverty.

People fall into poverty for a number of reasons. Persons get let go, and TT has had a few instances of severance in the past 8 years: petrotrin, TSTT, Acellor-Mittal. I think we can all agree that in two of those cases, the state entities needed to be fixed. At one point petrotrin was the worst performing state oil company in the world, only in front of PDVSA which was and is under sanctions. The fact is also, despite the closure of petrotrin, crime(specifically murders and robberies) did not increase in a major way, in the southern part of the island.

Fact is most of the criminals that affect the general populace come from broken homes, more than likely single parent households with little or no male influence. Yu put that together with most of those said persons not having a CSEC leaving certificate to their name in a country with a culture of lawlessness and you have the crime wave you're seeing

In reply to Jumpstart

Look at Laventille, Sea lots , Beetham Gardens , La Brea , now La Romaine...one see unemployment, lack of opportunities and poverty reigns supreme for decades.