Are our leaders listening to the cries of the people in T&T? Are they hearing the excruciating pain of the youth, the elderly, mothers, fathers, friends, co-workers, and neighbours who have lost loved ones?
If they are, then why do both the Opposition and the Government continue to play politics with the crime epidemic ravaging our nation?
Why is it only when a party is in opposition does it seem to have all the answers on how to solve crime?
It has become nauseating, to say the least, to have to listen to our leaders use the pain, suffering, despair and sense of hopelessness in the aftermath of weeks of bloodshed, to justify their own glaring failures as deserving leaders of our beloved T&T.
Perhaps our leaders themselves have become immune to the ever increasing murder rate because, to date, not once have either of the two major parties that have governed our land over the last 16 years ever shown a genuine willingness to put aside their political differences and do what is in the best interest of the people of T&T.
Our citizens don't want to hear the Government chastise the Opposition for their failures to deal with crime during their tenure because that time has now gone.
The people are aware of their numerous shortcomings, hence the reason there was a change of administration. Similarly, no one wants to hear the Opposition berate the new Government without putting forward a viable plan themselves to tackle crime, when over 400 murders were recorded in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Further, it is hypocritical of the leader of the Opposition to now remind the current Prime Minister that, "he bears ultimate responsibility for national security, as Prime Minister and Head of the National Security Council," when the current leader of the Opposition once held both those positions.
Not to mention, having fired three national security ministers and two ministers in the Ministry of National Security without much more success.
The time for this kind of juvenile tit-for-tat politics has gone.
It is said there are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.
In this instance, the truth appears to be, like the previous government when they were in power, the current administration does not have a realistic short-term or long-term plan, and/or the political will to put an end to the lawlessness that has overtaken our land.
Whilst is it agreed that there is no magic formula to bring down the murder rate overnight, it makes no sense whatsoever to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.
The criminals themselves committing these heinous crimes know that.
Hence the reason one day after the joint press conference hosted by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon, and Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams which laid out the plans to strengthen the four main anti-crime pillars of prediction, deterrence, detection and prosecution was announced, two men were shot dead outside the Maracas/St Joseph Police Station when they went to sign a condition of the court.
Up to the writing of this column, the search was still on for the killers.
On a positive note, whilst I like many other citizens in our country was happy with the announcement that discussions were on going to establish a DNA register, something I have advocated for since the act was assented to on May 10, 2012, the Government needs to look beyond simply creating a register but also invest in laboratories, training of crime scene investigators, forensic scientists and DNA analysts who, with the specific educational and training requirements, would be able to not only perform DNA analysis at the laboratory, but also conduct initial testing at the crime scene.
A register simply cannot exist on its own to make any significant improvement in the detection of crime.
Whilst this may be a long-term measure, I have always believed where there is the political will there is a way. Prior to 1995, under the then PNM administration, similarly, crime was out of control. However, with the political will and determination, the then UNC Panday-led administration was able to reduce the murder rate by 24 per cent.
In 1999, there were 92 murders, with shootings and wounding down 33 per cent.
They did so by implementing, amongst other things, the E-999 Rapid Response system, which provided easily accessible police assistance 24 hours a day, strengthened the coast guard and deployed anti-drug aircraft and ships to protect our coastline and increased police presence on the streets, with new police officers on foot, mobile and highway patrol.
So why can we do that now, we don't need to begin by reinventing the wheel.
I have no doubt that crime can be curbed in our country but it needs to start with those vested with the power to make real change having a comprehensive workable plan that would ensure the proper functioning of all institutions. We can only hope together they have the will to do so.
?Mickela Panday