IT’S time for the government to take resolute action and demonstrate a genuine commitment to protecting its people. There are about 420 murders for the year already and the country continues to spiral into an abyss of violence and crime.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, under the People’s National Movement (PNM), has been in power for nine years consecutively. Yet, the number of home invasions, extortion, murders, and the influx of illegal guns and ammunition under their tenure paint a clear picture of their failure to protect citizens and shows definitely they can not maintain law and order. They have lost the battle completely.
Over the past nine years, Trinidad and Tobago has seen a steady increase in gang-related crimes and especially home invasions. According to international statistical data, the country now has one of the highest murder rates per capita in the Caribbean. The government has shown their inability to provide effective solutions and to prevent and minimise the crime epidemic we face.
Home invasions have become a disturbing concern for many citizens. Something that was almost unheard of previously before this government took control of this country. Our safety and security of your homes are paramount and a basic right that every citizen should be able to count on.
Citizens are feeling vulnerable and afraid to be in their homes, imagine that, your own homes are no longer the secure sanctuaries they once were. The prime minister is now telling citizens hold killers responsible for their actions and don’t blame him. However, he’s in charge of the government and subsequently the minister of national security and in turn, the police whose response to these incidents has been inadequate, with many residents complaining of police response times being very slow and their inability to thoroughly investigate and solve crimes.
Yes, we hold the killers responsible but how can we get back to a place where we feel safe again? Who did we vote in to protect us and serve us? Listening to the PM you would think it was someone else. If you cannot do the job your clearly campaign for, you should vacate and give another person a chance.
The unabated importation of illegal firearms and ammunition into Trinidad and Tobago is another critical issue that the government has failed to address again. We are tired of the empty promises to deal with crime or to crack down on gun smuggling. These illegal guns coming into this country are often used in violent crimes, murders, robberies, and gang-related violence. We have no protection of our borders and there is a general lapse in security and law enforcement throughout our country.
Another concerning factor is that there have been multiple instances where police officers themselves have been implicated in criminal activities, killings and shoutouts that continue to undermine confidence in law enforcement. This contributes to the increasing feeling of hopelessness by the law abiding citizens.
Again and again, the Rowley-led government has made several promises to reform the police service, to increase funding to provide better training and equipment. However, these promises never materialised. Without a will to do it with competency, the fight against crime is just lip service to pull the wool over our eyes again.
The PNM government has continued to fail the citizens of T&T in providing their main purpose as a Government, to provide safety and security to our citizens. The citizens of T&T deserve a government that can stand up for what they were voted into do. To stand up against crime and the criminal elements in defense of our citizens. It’s imperative to prioritise their safety, implements effective crime-fighting strategies, and address the main causes of crime within our society.
The current administration’s track record has shown they are obviously incapable to meet these basic expectations of our citizens, leaving many of us wondering if their safety and well-being will ever be priority for this administration.
Neill Gosine is an insurance executive, sometimes a temporary Opposition Senator, an ex-treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NP). 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
Commentary: Gov’t Continues to Fail Citizens
IT’S time for the government to take resolute action and demonstrate a genuine commitment to protecting its people. There are about 420 murders for the year already and the country continues to spiral into an abyss of violence and crime.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, under the People’s National Movement (PNM), has been in power for nine years consecutively. Yet, the number of home invasions, extortion, murders, and the influx of illegal guns and ammunition under their tenure paint a clear picture of their failure to protect citizens and shows definitely they can not maintain law and order. They have lost the battle completely.
Over the past nine years, Trinidad and Tobago has seen a steady increase in gang-related crimes and especially home invasions. According to international statistical data, the country now has one of the highest murder rates per capita in the Caribbean. The government has shown their inability to provide effective solutions and to prevent and minimise the crime epidemic we face.
Home invasions have become a disturbing concern for many citizens. Something that was almost unheard of previously before this government took control of this country. Our safety and security of your homes are paramount and a basic right that every citizen should be able to count on.
Citizens are feeling vulnerable and afraid to be in their homes, imagine that, your own homes are no longer the secure sanctuaries they once were. The prime minister is now telling citizens hold killers responsible for their actions and don’t blame him. However, he’s in charge of the government and subsequently the minister of national security and in turn, the police whose response to these incidents has been inadequate, with many residents complaining of police response times being very slow and their inability to thoroughly investigate and solve crimes.
Yes, we hold the killers responsible but how can we get back to a place where we feel safe again? Who did we vote in to protect us and serve us? Listening to the PM you would think it was someone else. If you cannot do the job your clearly campaign for, you should vacate and give another person a chance.
The unabated importation of illegal firearms and ammunition into Trinidad and Tobago is another critical issue that the government has failed to address again. We are tired of the empty promises to deal with crime or to crack down on gun smuggling. These illegal guns coming into this country are often used in violent crimes, murders, robberies, and gang-related violence. We have no protection of our borders and there is a general lapse in security and law enforcement throughout our country.
Another concerning factor is that there have been multiple instances where police officers themselves have been implicated in criminal activities, killings and shoutouts that continue to undermine confidence in law enforcement. This contributes to the increasing feeling of hopelessness by the law abiding citizens.
Again and again, the Rowley-led government has made several promises to reform the police service, to increase funding to provide better training and equipment. However, these promises never materialised. Without a will to do it with competency, the fight against crime is just lip service to pull the wool over our eyes again.
The PNM government has continued to fail the citizens of T&T in providing their main purpose as a Government, to provide safety and security to our citizens. The citizens of T&T deserve a government that can stand up for what they were voted into do. To stand up against crime and the criminal elements in defense of our citizens. It’s imperative to prioritise their safety, implements effective crime-fighting strategies, and address the main causes of crime within our society.
The current administration’s track record has shown they are obviously incapable to meet these basic expectations of our citizens, leaving many of us wondering if their safety and well-being will ever be priority for this administration.
Neill Gosine is an insurance executive, sometimes a temporary Opposition Senator, an ex-treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NP). 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