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Guardian Editorial: T&T PM Rowley who is responsible?

It is said that success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.
Translating this into political terms, it means politicians will claim credit for success and avoid blame for any failure.

Apart from the performance of the economy, the issue of personal safety and security is the number one priority for citizens.
Violent crime, home invasions, and the murder rate have galvanized public opinion as crime has continued to escalate.
Extortion is commonplace, and all cash and carry businesses are feeling the heat. Most will pay up rather than suffer the consequences.
Gun crime is pervasive, and the gunmen are indiscriminate.

Five-year-old Anika Guerra’s murder in Moruga along with her father was not collateral damage.
She was shot five times, including a shot to her head.
Perhaps she knew and could have identified the killer. Perhaps it was a message to others.
Perhaps we will discover the reasons.
More probably, we will never know, as the detection rate in murder cases is less than 15 percent.
She is not the only child to have been murdered.

Whilst violent crime and the murder rate are indeed a cause for concern in many Caricom countries, that is no comfort to T&T citizens who feel neither safe nor secure.
The key consideration is the success of measures to reduce crime and inhibit criminals.
The Prime Minister’s comments at the post-cabinet news conference last Thursday, were not reassuring.
In evidence, the Prime Minister unveiled his legislative agenda for the rest of this administration’s term.
Since this is his last year before the general election, one presumes that the matters disclosed are national priorities.
Yet there were no proposals for addressing crime in the wide list of matters to be addressed.
How could crime not be a priority? Perhaps this explains the Prime Minister’s arms-length approach to crime perpetrated by the “devils” amongst us.
It has been widely alleged that government contracts have indirectly facilitated gangs or “community leaders.”
A Commissioner of Police has published evidence confirming that gang leaders or persons associated with gangs have received government contracts.
No political party has clean hands in this regard, even if this may have happened "inadvertently.”.

T&T Guardian

....Poverty is the mother of Crime

The murder of young Anika Guerra was a tragic loss of innocent life that has understandably shaken people's sense of security.
However, knee-jerk reactions will not solve the root causes fueling this violence.

We must look deeper.
Poverty, lack of opportunity, and social ills often breed resentment and desperation, which some misguidedly choose to express through criminal acts.
A multifaceted approach is needed—boosting socioeconomic mobility so fewer feel compelled to turn to crime, improving policing strategies, and fostering stronger community relationships and non-violent conflict resolution.
Most critically, we must strive to understand each other despite differences and work to remedy the fractures dividing society.

Violence begets more violence in a vicious cycle.
While security measures have their place, the challenge is stabilizing lives and communities to lessen the temptation of dangerous paths.
With open and constructive dialogue between leaders and citizens, creative solutions balancing both short-term safety and long-term prevention may emerge.
Progress will be gradual, but a more just, equitable, and compassionate society can be achieved through cooperation.

PM Rowley has been described as the "PM of Grief"

Sarge...