Be your own police

Paolo Kernahan

AT THE SIDE of a busy road in Cunupia life drains from a Telecom security guard as he lies partially in the arms of a colleague. Curious onlookers throng the scene. On the shaky cellphone footage, the commentary crackles with a perverse mix of morbid curiosity and concern.

Forty-six-year-old Hasely Augustine was just doing his job, along with his co-workers, depositing money into an ATM. They were ambushed by eight men. In the shootout, Augustine was hit in the chest. He didn't make it.

At the side of a busy road in Cunupia life goes on even as it stops for one man.

As the butcher's bill races towards 400, murderers have become bolder, knowing there's no one to stop them. Crime doesn't pay? Who says? The risk-to-reward ratio for these killers is highly favourable.

The vicious criminal insurrection is gaining momentum and remains unchallenged. Society as a whole has the bearing of the last stage of grief – acceptance. People are being killed every day, but what yuh go do?

As for the police – last week we got some insights into the brain trust within the institution meant to protect citizens against the onslaught. Public relations officer of the police service Joanne Archie suggested members of the public hire a reputable security firm to make large bank deposits.

It isn't clear what incident she was referring to in offering that useless bit of advice. Perhaps Archie would care to tell us what constitutes a "large deposit." Most major businesses already use security firms for that purpose – that's what Hasely Augustine died for.

In a largely cash-based society, some smaller businesses take a calculated risk and pay the price.

The TTPS PRO went on to make another curious suggestion.

"You could also secure the assistance of the police."

What does she mean by that? Is the TTPS officially peddling private, for-hire security services? Archie didn't elaborate and wasn't asked to, so it's difficult to find another way to interpret it.

The police must be aware of the growing trend of bandits following people to their homes after having visited the bank. Ordinary people making withdrawals and deposits are also swept up in this untreated cancer of crime.

Should we all hire private security guards? Is there a government grant available for that? Perhaps it should come out of allocations for the police service.

What Archie doesn't realise is her suggestion foreshadows what's already happened in other destabilised regions in the world. In countries where there's a complete breakdown of law and order, private militias – which are themselves deployed as criminal gangs – do battle with heavily armed, organised thugs. That's the future purchased by our continued silence.

At the news conference, Archie had several suggestions in her quiver for how citizens could protect themselves. The fact is, we have already made numerous concessions to the criminal element. This we have done on account of the incompetence of the police.

People have invested in security camera systems for their homes. We installed burglar-proofing only to increase the danger of being roasted alive trapped in a house fire. Nothing is left in our parked cars to attract attention. Bandits smash the windows just to be sure you haven't forgotten something.

How many of us no longer go to the beach, the movies, Port of Spain, church, or dine out to reduce our exposure? Many businesses are already closing up shop before sundown. For citizens who can, they're migrating to relatively safer countries.

What other adjustments are we to make to accommodate the refusal of the police to confront this menace? "Personal awareness" has its limits, and it certainly does nothing to stop these murderers from forcing their way into our homes at night.

At the height of a criminal siege, the Government fought a local government election campaign on local government reform – the last thing on anyone's mind.

The ruling party interpreted the results as victory – because not getting licks is as good as getting praise. The PM promptly went on holiday. The Minister of National Security has taken his hand off the wheel, assuming that the CoP has her hand on it. Her hand, meanwhile, is clasping her rosary. Dr Rowley is at the ninth hole while we're dying in the sand trap.

So strap on your boots, grab a stick or a pot of boiling water, and be your own police.