Tackle crime from the roads, says Fixin’ T&T

Return to “good old-fashioned policing,” control what happens on the roads and crime can be reduced, says director of Fixin’ T&T Kirk Waithe. Waithe yesterday forwarded a copy of Fixin’ T&T’s crime reduction plan to the media, which suggested better traffic management could significantly reduce crime.

“Every illegal firearm, every gramme of illegal drugs, every kidnap victim, every illegal immigrant, every bandit and every murderer passes on our nation’s roads. By controlling what passes on our roads we will reduce crime and derive many other benefits,” Waithe said in a news release.

“If you take away electricity or telecommunications life would become more difficult but things would move forward. But disrupt traffic and the nation shuts down.” In a telephone interview yesterday, Waithe, who has presented the plan to police numerous times since 2008, described the roads as the arteries that provide blood flow to the nation.

“When we control what passes on our roads, we will reduce crime,” he said. A former head of the road safety organisation Arrive Alive, Waithe said the plan’s development was a result of working with hundreds of police on the roads. Waithe says he’s not discounting the deep-rooted societal problems that contribute to crime.

“We have to stabilise, then focus on the deeper rooted issues like illiteracy, other social issues and the inefficiency of our judicial system,” he said. “While there are deep-rooted social issues to be addressed in the short, medium and long term, the immediate objective must be to send a clear message to anyone considering illegal activity that there is a good chance that you will be caught.”

He said he was sure that once resources and time were provided, the country would see positive results. He added that the plan could be implemented in the near future with very little additional expense. The proposal calls for the creation of a road policing unit of 255 law-enforcement agents to work with 30 civilians during three eight-hour shifts daily.

The plan says the policing unit should comprise 15 licensing officers, 75 traffic officers, 15 court and process officers, 15 stolen vehicle division officers, 30 CID detectives, 90 GEB/IATF (Guard and Emergency Branch/ Inter-Agency Task Force) officers, 15 K9 handlers and 30 civilians from Fixin’ T&T.

Waithe said in addition, criminals needed to be certain there would be repercussions for their crimes, and this could only happen with an efficient judicial system. “The Chief Justice should be provided with all the resources that he needs to make the judiciary more efficient, and should be held accountable for it,” he said.