More watersheds and less bloodshed

THE EDITOR: Flooding remains a perennial problem for the people of TT despite the efforts of the various regional corporations to maintain water courses, clearing them of the piles of debris and other discarded household items often dumped in a reckless and irresponsible manner.

While some might still argue that not enough is being done, I offer an alternative view. That is, we have been consistently applying drainage solutions to water management problems with little success.

Any drainage solution is only viable when there is a sufficient low-level space to outpour the water immediately, regardless of the volume. This is not our case and no space is consistently and absolutely available. As such, one must manage the volume of water, using a combination of catchment areas, ponds and watersheds to capture and de-energise the flow until the water can be emptied into rivers and seas at low tide.

The water must be better managed.

We have over the years continued in vain to add more drainage systems that rush water all at once to low-lying areas before giving these spaces time to adjust or recover. Essentially, we have been building systems and developing infrastructure that can do nothing but worsen the flooding challenges we have been faced with over the years.

It is my view as well that we have set out to manage the crime situation in similar fashion. In that we have embarked each time on bringing law enforcement solutions to address policing problems to our detriment. Meanwhile we disregard the underpinning of the whole concept of policing.

Policing is a civil activity, which becomes effective and legitimate based on public trust in policing and consent by the citizens to be policed in the first place. Law enforcement is the outcome of effective policing initiatives.

We continue to seek out law enforcement professionals to lead the most crucial policing function, without focus on finding someone who is competent at leadership and strategy.

Given the strategic position of the Commissioner of Police, the most important competency is in the realm of leadership and management, not law enforcement experience.

The head of the Police Service needs to be someone who can identify the resources available and develop the best strategies to get the maximum impact from application of the resources. The CoP’s ability to engage and collaborate with key stakeholders to get better outcomes is a very critical aspect of his credentials. He or she should seek out alliances with the Law Association, judiciary and other groups, organisations and associations that would contribute to his/her success.

Additionally, the Police Service needs to utilise more contemporary strategies to address crime. It must implement data-driven technology, artificial intelligence, surveillance, deep undercover work and special predictive tools so that the initiatives are more preventative and less reactive.

I submit that as a critical success factor, the new CoP must focus on the restoration of public trust in the police. Without this key ingredient, all the efforts to reduce the regular bloodshed that’s featured in the media, along with other less fatal infractions, will not be suitably addressed.

Until we start identifying in real and objective terms the problems we face, and utilising the most appropriate remedies, we will continue to pour resources down the drain.

Surely, we need to see more watersheds and less bloodshed.

NEAL DE MILLS

Barataria