Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 19/Aug 09:47

Birth of criminality

LENNOX FRANCIS THOSE charged with defining crime, catching criminals, bringing sanity to the TTPS, delivering justice and all other related activities to make the society safe need to know whom they are after. The hunters, the Minister of National Security; the Commissioner of Police and the police service are searching for criminals with outdated spyware. Before the establishment of the police force there existed the institutions of the family, the school, the community, the church and the business world. How, when and why the need for police arose? Prior to official policing, each institution had guardians of the law. In the family, the parents were the first to instil obedience and define right and wrong. In school, the headmaster and the teachers; in church, the clergy and the rest of the faithful; and in business, the owners. Impurities gradually contaminated the roots of society. Over time parents no longer attached importance to their roles. There was no monetary reward as earning money was more important than guiding children. In school the principal was the chief judge and the teachers the dispensers of knowledge and punishment. The church superficially ensured that morals were adhered to. All else was left to conscience to resolve. In the community there was the understanding that the village was needed to raise each child. In the business world it was sacrilegious for people to give short weight or overcharge or sell sub-standard goods. The society thrived on trust and roles were undertaken with diligence and innocence. No one questioned the inner workings of what propelled the society. People of influence were deemed right and answerable only to the unseen forces. Institutions could do no wrong. Performing the works prompted by evil was not an option as the society was under the watchful eyes of itself. The social bubble had leaks and gradually started deflating. The dark side of the institutions started seeping out: Parents started abdicating their responsibilities, doing unimaginable things. Soon the family was a potpourri of standards – do as I say and not as I do. Children then relied on school for the missing life’s education. The headmaster tried protecting the tradition while teachers merely performed a “wuk.” The children were physically unprotected and left morally starved. Religion became a colonising agent concerned with increasing its membership and building an earthly empire which was neither charitable to nor caring for the flock. Once thought to be an authority, it did not like being questioned and sharing its spiritual secrets. Businesses became profit-oriented and it was the best uncontrolled “get-rich scheme.” Employers treated employees as tools, a means to an end, desiring little care and fuel and a minimum wage to match. There is criminality even at the level of the State. Since parliamentarians are not there to represent themselves they must be tolerant of the criticisms by the opposition and not perform disrespectful "walkouts.” Governments embezzle and misappropriate. Acts of criminality also seem to have the protection of the law as certain public servants are exempted from polygraph testing. Is this the same thing as saying that these officials do not lie? Are state-run businesses providing timely reports? Time is the undertaker of the wrong-doing of state officials and forgetfulness the mourners. Are there any citizens who perform actions that do not fall in the categories listed in this article? So solving crime is easier than we think…set a thief to catch a thief. Is this the same as whistle-blower or turning state witness? How to retrieve the good old days and standards? Establish a scapegoat. The society never identified which institution broke down but saw the police service as the panacea. The constabulary had to be multi-faceted because of the uncertainty of what went wrong and the solutions needed. Crime as we know it was only physical and now it was taking us down another alley where its attributes are invisible. What was the society demanding of the police service? Reduce murders, robbery, home invasion, kidnapping, etc. Notice political and invisible crimes are never included. Also remember the members of the TTPS inherited their foundation from the old era and can only deal with the window-dressing, not the invisible crimes or those involving politicians. They were always there, the invisible crimes of dishonesty, lies, cheating, disobedience, being uncaring and uncharitable; making people unhappy; false accusation and witnessing injustice; unnecessarily rewarding incompetence; betrayal of trust; use of deceitful language; broken promises; and pauperising the nation politically, financially and economically. The number of invisible crimes is infinite. Criminals hurt us physically, emotionally, psychologically, mentally and spiritually. The bruises we ignored yesterday have festered into sores that limbs may soon require amputation. Criminality is promoted through negligence. The post Birth of criminality appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.