Chief Justice Ivor Archie is warning security agencies and religious heads to consider carefully the price they may have to pay in order to wrest control of the streets back from so-called community leaders, as they seek to reduce crime and restore law and order among the citizenry.He gave the caution during a special presentation on day three of the Christian crime symposium, titled Prayers Plus, at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann's, yesterday.Addressing the gathering, Archie said the religious bodies' intention to engage communities in the pursuit of peace would most likely have severe repercussions."We cannot remain passive. We must go into the community... they will not automatically come to us. What we are ultimately talking about is redeeming the culture of the streets. Your competition for the influence and authority to settle disputes is the so-called community leader," Archie said.
He continued: "You are trying to take his job and his workers. You will be stepping onto ground the enemy has stolen. He will not surrender his influence without a fight. Consider the price."
Archie added: "As you begin to dismantle the infrastructure of violence there will be pushback. What do you do when you are threatened or shots are fired? How much are you prepared to risk?"The Chief Justice said: "To take back the streets we must accept the possibility of bloodshed, including ours."The warning followed Archie's call for a greater partnership and collaboration between the church and Judiciary in the fight against crime.Among the causes of violent crime and the disintegration of society Archie listed was a failure to manage expectations, loss of community and the divorcing of moral and ethical principles from the conduct of public duties.
Urging those present to consider why they have not been effective thus far, Archie said it was a time for self-examination and transformation.Saying God did not need a constitution to assert his supremacy, the Chief Justice said it was mutual respect and regard for humanity that would once again form the basis for a better society."The call, therefore, is simply a call to love, to influence and to engage the political process, not just through prayer and advocacy, but by concrete action to restore community and the infusion of desirable moral values in the culture and consciousness of our society," Archie said.
Church must reshape mission
Archie said the role of the church was to promote peace, strengthen family life and assist in conflict resolution, as crime and deviant behaviour had their roots in underlying conflicts."Faith-based organisations play a fundamental role in our society and for many, the increase in lawlessness has been attributed, at least in part, to a loss of faith in those institutions," he said, adding:"The geographical spread of the church encompasses every community in T&T and you have ready access to their constituents. You already have your finger on the pulse of this nation."The church can and must, like the Judiciary, reshape its mission and look at the mission of resolving conflict as a real and tangible objective that can be attained and in so doing usher in the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven."
In an earlier address, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, Orville London, painted a grim picture of T&T."We are living in an increasingly darkening and frightening space," he said, as he likened it to "a kind of hell."He said because of that, people would panic and lash out at obvious targets, such as politicians, communities, churches and each other.London said while it was the collective responsibility of everyone to find solutions to the current crime problem, it was not something which had occurred overnight, nor would it be solved by any one person in such short time.Urging people not to lose focus, London said the church had a critical role to play but that it required prayers and action.He said: "Pray, but get off your knees and do the work so your prayers can be fulfilled."Adding that there was an urgent need to sensitise the population, London said Tobago had acknowledged that crime was not imported and had begun taking steps to implement crime-fighting strategies on the island.London said the time had come to play "police and priest," as he said private and public entities needed to work together to implement the objectives coming out of the symposium.