Abdication of duty

THE EDITOR: TT is a very lawless country. For years most influential people (especially those in authority) have resisted admitting this glaring fact. However, over the last decade or so many have had no choice but to acquiesce. What troubles me though is that even while admitting this truism, many sheepishly ask, "How did we get this way?" Well let me explain how to all who claim ignorance.

After independence we entered a period of steady decline. Our policing standards became increasingly poor. If you called a station to report things like your neighbours disturbing you with raucous behaviour, you would be laughed at and treated like you were being unreasonable. If you tried to report a missing person you would be given stories about how they probably ran away with a man or woman, etc.

Also, if you ever tried to make a report and in your distressed state committed the crime of not saying good morning or good night, you ran the risk of being soundly bouffed. And let's not forget the most popular response of the boom days: "We have no vehicle."

Coupled with all of those, laws like littering, loitering, squatting, etc were rarely enforced. Road traffic infringements were addressed by "vaps," more for show than results. What has really changed? Has anyone noticed how driving habits have deteriorated over the years? There is a level of crudity on our roadways that is truly alarming. Motorists while being at fault don't hesitate to resort to obscene language or in some cases violence in a flash.

I recall when speed guns were introduced there was a hue and cry from thousands of citizens complaining that the speed limit of 80 km was too slow. So, like the good administrators that they are, the powers that be increased it to 100 km. It never occurred to anyone that due to poor enforcement over the years many motorists had no clue what the speed limit was. But this is governance and law enforcement Trini style.

The PH issue is another case in point, left to fester and then people who should know better making vacuous statements like, "Well you have to admit that they providing a service." Utter rubbish. Let's be clear, the pusher on the corner is "providing a service," the gang leader who is collecting monthly payments from the little neighbourhood mini-mart (extortion) is "providing a service."

Has it ever dawned on anyone that if the Government had to this day implemented an efficient, effective and reliable public transport service that many of the PH drivers could have been gainfully employed within this network? It seems that myopia and mediocrity have so engulfed this wretched place that even some so-called "educated" people are a danger.

We as law-abiding citizens need to be clear in our minds as to whether our country is to be managed like a parlour or as a serious nation. If we choose the latter, then the time is now to demand from our leaders at all levels that they start performing and stop playing us for idiots.

The police could engage in as much PR as they want. While they may impress some of the gullible among us, they are certainly not fooling the criminal elements. This is why the robbers and murderers have become so brazen.

Do our Prime Minister, Attorney General and acting police commissioner understand why the words law and order are always used together? Without enforcement of laws you cannot have order in a society.

I found it necessary to raise these issues in order to once again express my utter disappointment with those in authority for their continued failure to address the widespread nuisance of noise pollution. The police must stop making excuses, our politicians must do whatever is necessary to ensure that public nuisance laws are immediately enforced.

Let's be real, people, any government and police service that is unable and/or unwilling to ensure that law-abiding citizens can enjoy the simple and basic civilised tenet of peace and quiet in their homes should be deemed as much a menace as the noise polluters themselves. And I make no apologies for that statement, because I have been writing for over 20 years to people in authority and the media on this matter with little results.

I am therefore calling on all true patriots (not party supporters) to let your voices be heard on this issue. Write your MPs, flood all talk shows with comments and questions, demand answers, because it is pellucidly clear to me that those in authority just don’t give a damn.

DF REDMOND

via e-mail