Citizens speak out at symposium: People feel helpless against criminals

Citizens spoke out against crime and criminality on Sunday at the Citizens’ Summit on Crime and Violence at the TML Grounds in St Joseph.

There were presentations from a panel including former UNC MP Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie, Mirza Ali-Mohammed, chairman of the Tobago Business chamber Martin George, Ricardo Mohammed, Marva John Logan, Isa Mohammed and pastor Clive Dottin. Citizens then voiced their concerns about the crime situation and what they believed could be done about it.

Economist Indera Sagewan said Trinidad and Tobago's people are voiceless and feel helpless, not just against crime but against those in authority.

“When you say we have to hold those who you give the power to to account, but no one is accounting to us, we could shout from the top of the mountains for party-finance reform, a fixed election date, a right to recall, two terms for political leaders – but at the end of the day, we are voiceless because our Constitution, that should give us that right, robs us of that right.

“We do not have the capacity to change anything in the Constitution. It can only be changed by the people we put in office.”

Linton Anthony De Gannes said TT is under siege by criminals in high office, low office and no office. He said criminals are more brazen because of the low crime-detection rate.

“The detection rate is below ten per cent.
"In my studies, I was taught classical theory and reasoning. A criminal who thinks classically would think they have a 90 per cent chance of committing a crime and getting away with it. Therefore, he will commit the crime.

“When we have police officers that cannot detect crime, no one can be arrested or charged.”

A man from Felicity said criminal activity is not increasing because of poverty but because of a lack of shame.

“Poverty is an excuse for criminality.

“Crime is a mindset, whether it is white-collar crime, blue-collar crime or homicide. People do crime because of the fact that they are inclined to do it.

“The only way to stop it is to embarrass the government. The country has no shame. We have to find a way to make people ashamed of what they do.”

Commenting on the influence of music on gang activity, John Martin Castagne, the grandson of Patrick Castagne, the author of the national anthem, said artistes who make Trinibad music are pandering to the demands of the population.

“I was there from the beginning. I was part of creating the group Create Your Next Expression with Prince Swanny and other people.

“How did this turn to Trinibad?

"Every one of the Trinibad artistes has a reggae song, a love song and a positive song. Were these songs ever given a chance? No.
"As soon as they start to sing about guns and violence, the community that doesn’t have the edification and who feel they are oppressed and they have no voice they like that, so they start to support the artist.

“The artiste is now stuck in a spiral in terms of what he is communicating to the public, because they are just giving the people what they want.”

George, in his contribution, lambasted MP for St Joseph and the head of the St Joseph Police Station for their absence at the meeting. Deyalsingh was robbed of a $10,000 gold bracelet on September 17 while sitting outside a bar in his constituency.

“Where is the MP for St Joseph? Where is the head of the police service for St Joseph? Even if you were not invited, you should come and hear what the people have to say.”

Tewarie said the flow of guns into the country started in 1983 with the crisis in Grenada, then evolved into a business where criminals will store and transport guns going from South America to North America.

“Caricom Impacs in 2023 told us there are 10,500 licensed firearm holders in TT, 19,434 registered guns and more than 84,000 guns circulating illegally in TT,” he said.

Caricom Impacs is the region’s co-ordinating body for regional security initiatives.

Pastor Clive Dottin, in a subsequent interview with the media, said another state of emergency. might be necessary.

“That is just the immediate reaction. It can’t be just that. We need to immediately fix the judicial system and deal with backlogs. We have to deal with rogue elements in our services,” he said.

“It is all interconnected and it all has to be addressed if we want to see any real progress.”