“The death rate from Covid-19 is indeed alarming but since the pandemic has started we have lost more citizens to homicides.”
By Varma Deyalsingh
THE current State of Emergency (SOE) was implemented to focus more on our public health concerns over our pandemic rather than national security issues.
I think the Government should also look at the SOE from a national security perspective and tackle two birds with one stone.
The death rate from Covid-19 is indeed alarming but since the pandemic has started we have lost more citizens to homicides.
In 2020 we had 394 homicides and so far this year we are along the same path, gang and drug-related activities continue to drive the murder rate.
Citizens are fighting for survival against a threat of both criminals and Covid-19 .
The recent seizure of high powered weapons are cause for concern. The reality is citizens could succumb to the virus or just as easily a bullet.
Trinidad and Tobago has the sixth-highest crime rate in the world. The World Population Review Crime rate puts us at number six in the world.
Venezuela, Papua New Guinea South Africa, Afghanistan and Honduras are leading us.
T&T has a Level 2 travel advisory. The outside world has a negative but real perspective on this nation.
Overseas Security Advisory Council continue to warn Americans of our drug trafficking and gang-related activities which fuel a demand for illegal weapons.
Years ago the then prime minister Patrick Manning met with community leaders and we were told we knew who they were and where to find them.
Since 2006 we were told of 100 gangs with more than 1,000 members.
We keep hearing it is only a small number of criminals destroying this paradise but the mayhem continues.
The Anti-Gang Bill was recently passed but we are now told it will take a while to gather evidence.
I think we can act now rather than wait. The commissioner of police should be encouraged to use this time to search and seize drugs and guns and go after the gangs.
Do so with strict Covid sanitation protocols on entering and leaving premises.
Rent a designated area to house any one held for criminal activities to prevent overcrowding in prison in this Covid tine .
The People’s Partnership government had rented and later purchased a warehouse during their SOE but questions were raised about this transaction.
We can learn from the mistakes of the PP government, where their SOE went wrong in being able to apprehend the gangs.
Our present Attorney General Faris Al-Wari can give guidelines to the police to avoid similar litigation coming from detained persons.
If we detain we must then charge them with an offence or face the backlash so previous intelligence is vital to assist the police.
Since its Independence in 1962, Jamaica has had a total of seven states of emergency for natural disasters, crime and violence.
In 2018 Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a state of emergency for the parish of St James to help tackle raising crime.
Manning also implemented a limited state of emergency around Port-of-Spain to facilitate the removal of our first female Speaker Occah Seapaul after he failed in his efforts to pass a vote of no-confidence in her.
If we can implement a SOE to go after one woman surely we can now do so to go after the gangs who create havoc in our country.
Dr Varma Deyalsingh is a medical doctor and Independent Senator in Trinidad and Tobago.
Use SOE To Fight Crime Too
“The death rate from Covid-19 is indeed alarming but since the pandemic has started we have lost more citizens to homicides.”
By Varma Deyalsingh
THE current State of Emergency (SOE) was implemented to focus more on our public health concerns over our pandemic rather than national security issues.
I think the Government should also look at the SOE from a national security perspective and tackle two birds with one stone.
The death rate from Covid-19 is indeed alarming but since the pandemic has started we have lost more citizens to homicides.
In 2020 we had 394 homicides and so far this year we are along the same path, gang and drug-related activities continue to drive the murder rate.
Citizens are fighting for survival against a threat of both criminals and Covid-19 .
The recent seizure of high powered weapons are cause for concern. The reality is citizens could succumb to the virus or just as easily a bullet.
Trinidad and Tobago has the sixth-highest crime rate in the world. The World Population Review Crime rate puts us at number six in the world.
Venezuela, Papua New Guinea South Africa, Afghanistan and Honduras are leading us.
T&T has a Level 2 travel advisory. The outside world has a negative but real perspective on this nation.
Overseas Security Advisory Council continue to warn Americans of our drug trafficking and gang-related activities which fuel a demand for illegal weapons.
Years ago the then prime minister Patrick Manning met with community leaders and we were told we knew who they were and where to find them.
Since 2006 we were told of 100 gangs with more than 1,000 members.
We keep hearing it is only a small number of criminals destroying this paradise but the mayhem continues.
The Anti-Gang Bill was recently passed but we are now told it will take a while to gather evidence.
I think we can act now rather than wait. The commissioner of police should be encouraged to use this time to search and seize drugs and guns and go after the gangs.
Do so with strict Covid sanitation protocols on entering and leaving premises.
Rent a designated area to house any one held for criminal activities to prevent overcrowding in prison in this Covid tine .
The People’s Partnership government had rented and later purchased a warehouse during their SOE but questions were raised about this transaction.
We can learn from the mistakes of the PP government, where their SOE went wrong in being able to apprehend the gangs.
Our present Attorney General Faris Al-Wari can give guidelines to the police to avoid similar litigation coming from detained persons.
If we detain we must then charge them with an offence or face the backlash so previous intelligence is vital to assist the police.
Since its Independence in 1962, Jamaica has had a total of seven states of emergency for natural disasters, crime and violence.
In 2018 Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a state of emergency for the parish of St James to help tackle raising crime.
Manning also implemented a limited state of emergency around Port-of-Spain to facilitate the removal of our first female Speaker Occah Seapaul after he failed in his efforts to pass a vote of no-confidence in her.
If we can implement a SOE to go after one woman surely we can now do so to go after the gangs who create havoc in our country.
Dr Varma Deyalsingh is a medical doctor and Independent Senator in Trinidad and Tobago.