Increasingly since the 1970s, crime has been an issue of monumental significance to us in T&T. Several commentators, state officials, and members of the public have offered explanations for the trend of crimes plaguing our nation for the past decades. To date none of these explanations has proved to be useful. Perhaps we may have to embrace what sociologists in the research literature have been arguing for some time-that crimes must be understood against the social contexts from which they have emerged. I say this in spite of what we have done so far. We have bought more cars for the police, created elite divisions, bought expensive technology to monitor the environment, and even contracted foreign police leaders to guide us. Within recent times we have started to work on new legislation to contain crime. All that we have done so far, I submit, has failed because we have ignored what the sociologists have been saying: "Examine your social environment and how you socialise your people!" Space does not permit a full discussion on the issue.
However, to conclude I suggest that for us to contain crime we simultaneously will have to do the following: Find a way to promote and sustain ideal norms and values among families and schools in T&T. n Increase the levels of professionalism and integrity of our police officers, forensic personnel, and officers of the court. Review and reform the archaic laws which we have inherited with independence so that crime no longer will continue to pay in T&T. Unless we recognise that our society has changed fundamentally since the 1970s, that our youth have a different world view, that too many of our adults have become reckless and lawless, that we cannot continue to apply the same old laws and train and develop our crime fighters in the same old tradition, we will continue to reel under the impact of crime which now so easily is committed with impunity.
Raymond S Hackett
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