Culture of criminality and politics

We just had a war of words in Parliament.

We also have a continuing war against criminals that, given its roots, shows signs of lasting longer than we wish.

In fact, the war is not so much against criminals themselves but really against the widespread culture of criminality, which, with its deep roots, is likely to continue after the elections.

The “hurt” and “concerns” about crime shared by the PM, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher are understandable, but certainly not enough to stem the rising tide.

This is an unprecedented struggle for the police and national security. In the circumstances, nothing less than a comprehensive overall and resetting of the policing and national security apparatus will do.

Congratulations to Snr Supt Roger Alexander and his team for “discovering” the fearsome bunch of guns in the Santa Cruz bushes.

But what if a set-up stakeout had been used, patiently waiting to catch the crooks who would come to collect the guns?

Same thing with drugs in containers. The FBI will tell us that detection comes with patience, passion and technology.

Now the budget. Where in the world will you get an engineer-turned-Finance-Minister like Colm Imbert who could give such a stylish, entertaining yet robust budget reply, challenging Ms Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s comprehensive address?

The UNC's well-researched Saddam Hosein facing the smart, articulate Faris Al-Rawi and keeping the AG, Reginald Armour, SC, on his toes, Dr Roodal Moonilal always “bussing a mark,” Mayaro MP Rushton Paray with his scholarly presentation and Princes Town MP Barry Padarath with punchlines against Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales on water and electricity. In case Dr Rowley is too busy, or Mr Hinds wishes to do something else, the personable Mr Gonzales may do for now.

But will all this save citizens from crime? One young man, Kaveer Nandram, a music producer, was killed and his two friends severely wounded when they went to buy food last Tuesday in Woodbrook.

Lochan Nandram. Kaveer’s father, said: “Everywhere is unsafe in Trinidad. If anybody want to kill somebody, it can be anywhere. This country is not safe any more.”

Sorry for the “negative” news, Faris, but that is the people’s truth. The front-page “negativity” Mr Al-Rawi points out reflects the gruesome crime landscape.

Last week too, Dr Rowley soberly explained, “Nobody could be happy at the current crime situation.” Today, on the police side, he is “damn annoyed” at bail and the courts, while revealing the “weaknesses and $200 million-a-year waste” by the UNC's Community Comfort Patrols.

The crime figures are not in government’s favour, the commissioner’s appointment is now in court, public fear of crime is at a depressingly high level, the “business-killing” episodes of extortion, a police service still being prepared for its purpose, the killing of and threats aagainst police and prison officers, the discovery of high-powered guns – all suggest lots of work to be done at the joint PNM-UNC meetings.

Apologising for the crime situation, Mr Hinds declared in Parliament: “I give the nation the assurance...as minister: we will continue to put up the walls and fight like hell to protect you.”

The population should help as much as possible to retrieve lost ground.

But government agencies cannot spite citizens and then expect them to support police. You see, the government must set the example for citizens to follow.

Last Independence Day, Dr Rowley asked citizens to “obey and respect the law and its regulations.”

Why doesn’t he ask the municipal corporations to do that too? There are too many instances of statutory neglect. It looks bad. Too many aggrieved citizens forced to go to court.

Imagine, today’s 465 murder rate with detection 13 per cent (scores similar to last year) seems to be heading to overtake last year’s 605 score and detection rate of 12.4 per cent.

It is not only murder. It is the frightening randomness of attacks by fearless criminals. A 62-year-old visitor was knocked down in busy Charlotte Street, cuffed and kicked as three young men grabbed her purse with the $170,000 she had just drawn from the bank. "I will never return to Trinidad," she cried.

The horrific home invasions, daylight streetside killings and robberies, unsettling low murder-detection rate, trial delays, political uncertainties, when put in context with socio-economic conditions, foment themselves into a culture of criminality, largely with youths. It’s parallel to the mainstream.

Ten elements of this criminal culture, the criminal mind, are:

* Have no respect for private property, business and homes

*Have no respect or feelings for senior citizens

* Feel no guilt for killing, raping, robbing people

* Have no fear of the police or prisons

* Have no fear of being caught

* Have parents who cannot control or guide them

* Have friends already lodged within the culture of criminality

* Are school failures, dropouts or unemployed.

* Are repeat offenders, materially benefiting from their crimes

* Are in ego-enhancing possession of firearms

These know nothing about citizens’ constitutional freedoms and rights, or even the Bible, Vedas or Quran etc. They are really zombies, not the ”few little bad boys” a priest described. This implies that an understanding of crime and its context must be driven not only by narrow criminology and statistics but by the sociology and psychology that shape criminality. For this reason, in last week’s column I proposed a social justice programme for youth.

I wrote: “Helping our youth to be well-trained and productive is a special mission. The homes and schools must build their children’s character so they will appreciate the value of sacrificing today for benefits tomorrow – delay gratification and the need to achieve.”

I continued: ”Alongside this, teach them in late primary and early secondary school about criminal justice – the nature of certain common crimes and penalties for stealing, larceny, wounding, fighting, murder.

"Don’t wait until after the fact. Impress upon them early that choices have consequences. An education system must respond to the environmental realities.”