‘Photos of people shot in pools of blood all over the country appear on social media with regularity. Headlines of shootings are the norm’
By Dr Neil Gosine
MINISTER of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds openly apologised for the hurt at Trinidad and Tobago’s crime situation during his contribution to the 2023/2024 Budget debate.
As the murder rate rises, more people are being killed than at any point in history. As of October this year, the murder death toll is on track to record way over 600 murders for 2023.
Definitely it is overtaking last year 2022 – a year which saw 614 violent deaths. The twin island is drenched in blood, with a population of about 1.4 million, now has the terrible spot of holding the sixth highest crime rate in the world.
I would like the honorable minister to know that all of our citizens are feeling a hundred times the hurt despair and are suffering under the crime situation for the last few years.
Over the past eight years our country has been mismanaged by the destruction of our oil wealth and energy resources, dragged down by corruption, the drug trade and an increase in gun crimes and violence, all under the current government.
Photos of people shot in pools of blood all over the country appear on social media with regularity. Headlines of shootings are the norm.
The violence has seeped into every aspect of our lives like an epidemic and its reduction and prevention should be targeted now as the number one priority. Murderous home invasions have increased ten fold and newspaper headlines constantly report “bodies on the road” and now more and more average citizens are faced with robberies at gunpoint.
We are desperate and we have become numb seeing all these gruesome pictures on social media.
Mr Hinds in your speech in Parliament you promised the citizens of this country that you would “fight like hell” to bring crime under control.
However since your appointment in 2021 what exactly have you been doing? What I remember vividly is that you said you were not responsible for making citizens feel safe in our country. In my opinion the number one job description of the minister of national security.
You have stated that you will be adding three times more police offices into the police service and more police cars but will this really help us?
Will this stop the home invasions or protect our young children from abuse at their homes or help our youths and prevent them from the lure of joining gangs in an attempt to survive in their communities?
Will it stop the arms, ammunition and drugs from coming in and out of the country?
As a citizen, I am very concerned about the capabilities of Minister Hinds and his ability in doing his job as the minister of national security. All we see are heinous crimes committed day in and day out and he has the gall to go in Parliament and shed the proverbial crocodile tear and apologise to the citizens for the crime committed against them. What a farce! Citizens are under siege and are vowing not to return to this country because of criminal activities and attacks against them.
I think the citizens of this country now realise that elections have consequences and when elections come around again, they will stain their fingers this time for real change, for a better party that can better manage our twin island republic properly.
Neil Gosine is an insurance executive. He is also the treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration MBA, BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited.
Numb to Crime
‘Photos of people shot in pools of blood all over the country appear on social media with regularity. Headlines of shootings are the norm’
MINISTER of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds openly apologised for the hurt at Trinidad and Tobago’s crime situation during his contribution to the 2023/2024 Budget debate.
As the murder rate rises, more people are being killed than at any point in history. As of October this year, the murder death toll is on track to record way over 600 murders for 2023.
Definitely it is overtaking last year 2022 – a year which saw 614 violent deaths. The twin island is drenched in blood, with a population of about 1.4 million, now has the terrible spot of holding the sixth highest crime rate in the world.
I would like the honorable minister to know that all of our citizens are feeling a hundred times the hurt despair and are suffering under the crime situation for the last few years.
Over the past eight years our country has been mismanaged by the destruction of our oil wealth and energy resources, dragged down by corruption, the drug trade and an increase in gun crimes and violence, all under the current government.
Photos of people shot in pools of blood all over the country appear on social media with regularity. Headlines of shootings are the norm.
The violence has seeped into every aspect of our lives like an epidemic and its reduction and prevention should be targeted now as the number one priority. Murderous home invasions have increased ten fold and newspaper headlines constantly report “bodies on the road” and now more and more average citizens are faced with robberies at gunpoint.
We are desperate and we have become numb seeing all these gruesome pictures on social media.
Mr Hinds in your speech in Parliament you promised the citizens of this country that you would “fight like hell” to bring crime under control.
However since your appointment in 2021 what exactly have you been doing? What I remember vividly is that you said you were not responsible for making citizens feel safe in our country. In my opinion the number one job description of the minister of national security.
You have stated that you will be adding three times more police offices into the police service and more police cars but will this really help us?
Will this stop the home invasions or protect our young children from abuse at their homes or help our youths and prevent them from the lure of joining gangs in an attempt to survive in their communities?
Will it stop the arms, ammunition and drugs from coming in and out of the country?
As a citizen, I am very concerned about the capabilities of Minister Hinds and his ability in doing his job as the minister of national security. All we see are heinous crimes committed day in and day out and he has the gall to go in Parliament and shed the proverbial crocodile tear and apologise to the citizens for the crime committed against them. What a farce! Citizens are under siege and are vowing not to return to this country because of criminal activities and attacks against them.
I think the citizens of this country now realise that elections have consequences and when elections come around again, they will stain their fingers this time for real change, for a better party that can better manage our twin island republic properly.
Neil Gosine is an insurance executive. He is also the treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration MBA, BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited.