They come out to play

Ah fed up ah dis ting

Yes you Mr Man

You in uniform

The baton in yuh hand

Here is not no court

Here is no station

Here it is ah fete

I come to play, ay, ay, ay (etc)

Leave meh leh me do it nah...

(Benjai)

It would be interesting if security forces coming from Trinidad to Tobago to "address Tobago’s increase in crime" (as one news source stated) did so inconspicuously, in plain clothing, using unmarked vehicles.

However, as I write this, I have just finished viewing a civilian’s video, shared on a social media news channel. Filmed from the interior of a car, the video shows a lineup of police trucks in the dark, at what appears to be the port.

Go ahead, announce their arrival with some degree of fanfare so that criminals and gangsters can laugh, stay inside and keep quiet until the "security forces" leave the island and they are once again free to come back out and "play."

The phenomenon is similar to that of the "white shirts"– the name given to the licensing officers who come from Trinidad to "terrorise Tobagonians" (the term generally used by those on the island who are opposed to their presence).

It is said that people were being charged for something as simple as a tear in their upholstery. If true, such a charge is ridiculous and uncalled for and is an example of what many refer to as these officers "advantaging" vehicle owners.

The "white shirts" have the general job of checking vehicles for roadworthiness, checking drivers for up-to-date "papers" (insurance, licence, inspection stickers, etc). Absolutely nothing is wrong with this. If you have your papers in order and your vehicle is in proper working condition, why worry?

What does it say about the road-readiness of the average Tobago driver or vehicle when (upon arrival of "the white shirts") many drivers stay home, abandoning the roads until the "white shirts" leave the island? Many take to social media and WhatsApp for tips on when it is safe to come out again.

“Tell me when they gone from X area. I have to pass there.”

On the recent "white shirts" visit, scores of civilians were seen lining roadsides, waiting for "P" cars (private taxis) that would never come...at least not as long as the white shirts were about.

To my horror, around that time, a video shared via social media featured audio of a vengeful voice threatening to tie a red cord around a chicken’s neck and set its mouth on fire in order to terrify and drive the "white shirts"away.

That obeah "recipe" was not the only one. Another video depicted civilians burning candles near the head/skull of a bovine and (according to one newspaper article) chanting "Kill them" – once again with intentions of getting rid of on-the-road authorities.

Tobago police were subsequently involved in the search for a man who allegedly rallied all the island’s obeahmen to unite in efforts to remove the officers.

Apart from the vengeful nature of these acts of obeah, my alarm is precipitated by the fact that they involve the use of animals and are examples of cruelty – at least to anyone who has an awareness of animal welfare standards and humane treatment of sentient beings.

In comments, some people expressed horror, asking if Tobago is not already "heavy enough" and saying such efforts are an embarrassment. Others laughed, applauding the threats as an acceptable part of "the culture." Some asked why such threats were being aimed at "the white shirts" and not at the gunmen currently roaming the island and causing what is beginning to seem like daily murders.

Early last week gunmen rained bullets on a female Trinidadian alleged gang member – Dolly Boss – who was at Lammy Road, Argyle, Tobago. At that time, early afternoon, children were playing hopscotch and moral near to the place at which the bloodbath occurred.

“We could have easily had dead children,” Farley Augustine said on the matter, before the arrival of police at the scene.

A civilian’s video of the location shows fresh blood in the drain in front of a wooden roadside bench, sparkling like the heavy "gold" chains that Dolly Boss once wore around her neck.

Chalk on the road, once as innocent as hopscotch squares, now calls to mind outlines around the bodies of those who dare to play more dangerous games.