- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 03:33

Are we really in a SoE?

THE EDITOR: I browsed through the headlines of the various newspapers on the morning of August 25. A few headlines were: “Three men rob KFC Chaguanas and assault staff”; “Driver robbed after giving man a ‘drop’ in Santa Cruz”; “Neighbour, police foil Claxton Bay home invasion”; “Teen among five shot in Arouca, women injured in casino fight”; “Princes Town pensioner raped during robbery and home invasion”; “Man robbed while buying doubles”; “Beachgoers robbed in Blanchisseuse”; “Wife finds vendor knifed to death in Princes Town”; “Vendor executed in Chaguanas”; “Nyahbinghi’s daughter gunned down”; “Tobago shop owner shot dead in Pembroke.” The question again – Are we in a SoE ? Or is this normal Trinbago? I commend the Commissioner of Police for his calm, action approach to policing. He himself was quoted as saying that the SoE was called to deal with the specific threat to the lives of government, judicial, security and military officials and as a result of the increased policing and surveillance by his officers there was a marginal reduction in general crime during the SoE. Why can’t we have more of the same, that is, increased surveillance with “boots on the ground?” Every citizen knows that is a deterrent. Is a curfew an option? I watched the hundred-day celebration of the ruling party mainly as it seems to be a trending practice for citizens to learn about national issues and agendas from the meetings of political parties. The Prime Minister asked what I thought was a rhetorical question to her audience and followers. The question asked was, “Do you feel safer now?” In my opinion there was a subdued, faint, muted answer of “yes”, so much so the PM had to answer it herself with a “yes”. Even the horn blowing and bell ringing sounds had gone semi quiet from their usual, annoying noise that drowns the speakers’ words in those Monday night reports. A month has passed already in the SoE and more needs to be done to save the country from murders, home invasions, rapes, burglaries, car-jackings. Pity the poor seniors who have a lot of issues on their plate already. The six-month window for crime reduction promise has past the halfway stage already. Is crime being reduced? Come on Mr CoP, Ms PM, and Mr Homeland Security Minister – more needs to be done to fight crime. L DASS via e-mail The post Are we really in a SoE? appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.