It is time for the Police Service in T&T to take a proactive approach to fighting crime. Not because of the assignation of Ms Seetahal but at least this unfortunate incident may trigger the response that is so desperately needed.While I sympathise with the police and accept that their job is not an easy one, there is much more that can be done to help reduce crime. There is no way to eradicate crime but there are ways to cut down on the ease with which the criminals commit their crimes.
Proactive policing can be as simple as being aware of your surroundings, recognising the possibility of a problem or a person in need of assistance. I read that there are CCTV recordings of a vehicle which was parked on the side of the road seemingly waiting for Ms Seetahal's vehicle to pass. I wonder how long that vehicle was parked there waiting. I wonder how many police vehicles drove past that vehicle while it was waiting.
Proactive policing would require any police vehicle passing a vehicle at the side of the road like that to stop to see if everything was alright, if the occupants were in need of assistance or if they seemed to be suspicious.
If they had done so, it is quite likely that the police would have been fired upon as such they should approach each instance with caution. Many times I have seen police vehicles pass someone whose vehicle has broken down at the side of the road. I have also seen some stop to help.
It should be that they automatically stop to help or at least see that the occupants are able to handle their situation. Many times I have seen police vehicles at a traffic light and another vehicle make an illegal u-turn with no response by the police because they are going the opposite direction. If you let small thing pass then you are encouraging bigger things.
It is not necessary to post road blocks to issue tickets for defective vehicles or unlicensed vehicles. The police vehicles are constantly on the road, whenever they come across a defective vehicle they should pull them over and if necessary issue a ticket. Criminals drive defective vehicles too, criminals get flat tyres too, they get nervous when out of nowhere a police vehicle pulls them over or stops to approach them.
If the police stop driving around with those annoying flashing lights as though it is bling, then they would not be alerting the criminals that they should wait until the police pass before proceeding. I would much rather know that five criminals were arrested in my neighbourhood and I did not even know that the police were there than to constantly see flashing blue lights a mile off and crime as usual.Change the game plan, the current methods do not work.
Bernard Quesnel
via e-mail