THE Editor,
Every day I painfully read the daily newspapers, social media posts and connect with friends and family to be bombarded with horror stories of police killings and brutality, rape, missing girls, criminal and gang activity and an expected capital and brain drain where every able person is fleeing our crooked war-torn country.
What hope can anyone have for this “unreal” place which is rotting from the top? The public perception is logical- Cabinet crookery and hoodlumism is as rampant as ever after our leader conveniently destroyed the decade-old Procurement Act allowing every institution to continue padding and inflating even its toilet paper and tomato purchases. While every institution is failing it is no wonder we have cultivated rogue public servants.
On March 27, 2023, I was driving on the Curepe Interchange and was suddenly stopped by two police officers. An ill-mannered officer, without saying good afternoon, immediately began to verbally abuse me and accused me of lying while berating me continuously in an arrogant, threatening and condescending manner.
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I do not even talk to a vagrant like that. I didn’t respond. I sat there bewildered that this man enrolled in our noble police service and took the oath “to protect and serve” our people and country but instead has become a national disgrace and embarrassment.
The officer took my permit and insurance and went to his fellow officer in their car, where it appeared to be somewhat of a celebrity moment while they cheered holding my driver’s permit in their hand. I still don’t know what there was in this occasion to laughingly celebrate. Whatever it was, I sympathised with everyone who suffers at the hands of these types of offensive TTPS officers.
Fast-forward to May 30, 2023, while navigating through Port of Spain, I met the most polite, humane, and supportive officers, who assisted me through a difficult situation. It was at that moment I insisted that I must have their names and numbers to publicly applaud them for their reputable service and their not-small acts of proud professionalism and kindness.
These two officers revive my hope in our corrupt and twisted banana republic. PC Mohammed and WPC Barker, thank you for your selfless act and your commendable and uplifting service.
When we feel hopeless that arrogant and offensive public servants betray and hurt us, we must remind ourselves, and especially our friends and family that where there is good, there is also bad. It’s not all doom and gloom, there is still hope.
We must with humility, encourage and be the light in this dark room rather than a fading star in the Milky Way. There is a lot of good around us. Even in this, our darkest hour, we must never give up hope.
