Justice Frank Seepersad has called on citizens to create Zones of Support and Safety, or ZOSAS, within homes and communities as part of a national response to crime.
Speaking at a Mother’s Day function hosted by the Rotary Club of Penal on Saturday, Seepersad said the country could not rely solely on the State to solve the crime crisis and urged citizens to become more proactive in guiding and supporting young people.
He referenced the wider national debate on Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO), a proposed security and community development strategy aimed at tackling violent crime in hotspot communities through joint police and military deployment, alongside social intervention measures. The legislation, however, did not secure the required support of Independent Senators in Parliament. He said the implementation of ZOSAS required a collective national effort.
“The implementation of ZOSAS requires us to understand that it takes a community to protect a community,” Seepersad said.
He said the initiative would demand a shift in mindset and behaviour across society.
“This operation will require a deliberate cultural shift, behavioural recalibration and a reorientation of thought, conduct and attitude,” he said.
Seepersad warned that silence in the face of crime could no longer be accepted.
“Silence is no longer optional and all criminal conduct must be reported,” he said.
He also called for a firm rejection of all forms of violence, particularly within homes.
“A principled and uncompromising rejection of violence in all its forms must now be embraced,” Seepersad said.
“Within our homes, domestic violence can no longer be treated as a private inconvenience to be quietly tolerated behind closed doors.
“It must instead be confronted as both a societal and existential threat because it destabilises families, distorts childhood development and weakens the social fabric upon which national progress depends.” Seepersad said national stability could not exist alongside normalised violence in homes.
“No society can normalise violence within the home while simultaneously aspiring to become a society defined by security and stability,” he said.
Seepersad urged adults to lead by example.
“As adults, we must respect ourselves and ensure that our language, actions, and choices remain measured, disciplined, and reasonable,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of parenting and accountability.
“Parental responsibility and accountability must be prioritised,” Seepersad said.
He warned that children learn behaviour by observation.
“We must remember that our nation’s youth absorb moral and ethical standards by observing the behavioural and lifestyle choices of adults,” he said.
He called for stronger cooperation between families and communities.
“Families and communities must work together, pool resources, and cultivate environments in which every individual is treated with dignity and provided with hope,” Seepersad said.
Seepersad said ZOSAS would require structured intervention and consistent guidance for young people.
“ZOSAS will require us to ensure that corrective intervention and responsible guidance are routinely engaged so that our children are raised with structure, consistency, empathy, accountability and respect,” he said.
He said citizens could not depend entirely on the State to solve societal problems.
“If we aspire to build a nation grounded in integrity, guided by justice, and sustained by equity and empathy, we cannot continue to look myopically to the State to provide every solution,” Seepersad said.
He urged a change in public attitudes.
“The manner in which we view each other must also be adjusted as we reject the ‘us against them’ mentality and instead embrace the collective responsibility of ‘we,’” he said.
Seepersad encouraged citizens to use their resources to support others and concluded by urging national unity and sustained effort.
“The national effort to reduce crime will only succeed when we collectively focus upon course correction and provide constructive support to our youth and those who require assistance,” he said.
