Low-hanging political fruit that's TTPS

THE EDITOR: We live in a small Third World country where image, in particular political image, is absolutely everything.

There is a general election due in 2025. With a state of emergency (SoE) called by the government, the responses from aspirants hoping to remove the PNM are, as usual, self-serving words that they hope will remove the PNM from office.

Par for the political course. TT is a democratic country. You can say what you want. This is not the same, for example, as in Russia or China.

This possible three-month SoE, limited to handling the warring criminal gangs and providing a small solace to the public, will see the police under heavy scrutiny. They will be accompanied by the security forces, but this letter is about the present-day image of the police.

Why is the police service low-hanging political fruit? It is my personal, unsolicited view that the unrelenting media discourse about which commissioner of police did what, when and where has diminished the image of the police in the eyes of the public.

There is a lack of respect. Their image is besmirched.

What comes across is that the men and women of the police service cannot perform their duties well unless guided and guarded by particular individuals. Because we are a small country of only 1.4 million citizens, it is easy to buy into the rhetoric that only one perfect person can effectively control our crime scene. That the police trade union also comes across as being overly protective is not being helpful either.

Not every single policeman/woman, in any part of the world, is an angel without wings. Not yet.

Crime in TT is indeed rampant. However, this SoE is not designed to curtail economic activity. What is patently obvious is that there is a distinct possibility of the curtailment of gang warfare.

Instead of praising the government, there is fear of the PNM earning accolades from a discerning electorate. The majority of the business chambers are hopeful and thankful.

We live in a democracy. If you can prove that you are indeed better than sliced bread, and that your political fine print is readable, we will vote accordingly.

The comments of Dr Vishnu Bisram of NACTA hit where it hurts. He is of the view that, to date, the very organised PNM remains in line to win a third term in 2025.

I love Bisram. This man smart too bad.

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin