Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 27/Jul 23:15

Chaos, despair and our unravelling society

Timothy Hamel-Smith AS we experience multiple murders, home invasions and extortion, the fear is that the gangs and criminals are now in charge and will soon be at our doorsteps, if not already there. The statement by the Prime Minister that a coup was being planned in the SSA has led to further anxiety among the citizenry. The government, by its virtual silence and express statements of its ministers, has abdicated the primary responsibility of the state to provide its citizens with the fundamental right to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property granted by our Constitution. But there is HOPE. Our governments do not have to stand idly by and watch our citizens slaughtered, hog-tied in their homes and deprived of their property. These are some of the steps which a responsible government can take beyond the empty rhetoric: Criminal justice system Pass legislation to eliminate up to 75 per cent of the trivial cases lingering in the magistrates courts for many years. This will free up our magistrates courts, which handle 90 per cent of criminal matters, to deal with more important cases. Currently our magistrates have to deal with a backlog of some 45,000 cases, spending hours daily in adjourning matters. Upgrade our legislation for illegal possession of firearms and improve our law on self-defence and the licensing of firearms and short-term amnesty. Establish a 24-hour gun court. Guns are at the epicentre of our problem – prosecution of people in possession of unlicensed firearms should be as simple and straightforward as charging drivers for unlicensed motor vehicles. No witnesses required save for the evidence of the police officer arresting an individual for being in possession of a firearm without a licence. Video/bodycam evidence should be standard. The sentence for possession of an unlicensed firearm should be a minimum of ten years before eligibility for parole. Speedy trials with modern case-management procedures and hearings by a single judge without a jury. An enhanced prosecutorial system benefiting from a unified digital platform. Introduction of rehabilitation, education and training programmes in our prisons and a parole system which encourages prisoners to improve behaviours and to become productive citizens on release. Assign all traffic matters to a separate list to be dealt with by lay magistrates. Stopping the flow of firearms and drugs Lease x-ray scanners for our ports which can scan up to 150 containers per hour – no need for delays in clearing goods. The supplier must be responsible for leasing, operating and maintaining the scanners – this will end the sabotage. Work in conjunction with Caricom's Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, Interpol and our international allies to apprehend the trafficking in guns and drugs in our territorial waters, utilising radar and drone surveillance and intercept vessels, including shiprider agreements as appropriate. Decriminalisation of marijuana, accompanied by an extensive and long-term drug abuse education programme. Law enforcement reform In addition to career advancement from within the police service, include the ability to recruit professional managers and officers to the upper ranks of the police service based on merit from the best available talent. Introduce legislation to include our army as a separate arm of law enforcement. We need all hands on deck in this time of deep anxiety and dread being experienced by our nation. A tactical police squad to be responsible for investigating, arresting and charging offenders who are in possession of unlicensed firearms. Establish access to proper electronic databases for DNA and fingerprints. Arrangements can be made for these to be compiled and safeguarded by Interpol – this will enhance our abysmally poor detection rate. Education and the economy The violent crime and lawlessness we are seeing today in our country is the manifestation of anger, resulting from the loss of hope caused by poor policy decisions – what Lloyd Best attributes to the “abominable policy decisions of PNM governments” as the “most diabolical purveyor of public slackness....just to be certain that PNM would triumph at the polls.” Economic reform and security are not two separate agendas; they are intimately connected to one another. Controlling gangs is not enough; we need to overhaul our education system to tailor the curriculum to satisfy the vocational aspirations of our students, introduce civics, character and values education with a community-service component and recreational opportunities, including art, drama and music, vocal and instrumental, of which the steelpan is a vital component. The transformation of our society must begin with education, including nursery/daycare in our challenged communities, so that we replace make-work schemes with opportunities for decent good-paying jobs and an entrepreneurial business class. If we fail to achieve this transformation, successive generations of our young people, now without opportunities or hope for a new life, will be drawn into the net of gangster life. We urge the Government to take proactive steps to remedy our crime problem. Our citizens ought not to be left as sitting ducks to face the wrath of violent crime which now threatens to envelop our nation. Timothy Hamel-Smith is the political leader of HOPE. The post Chaos, despair and our unravelling society appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.