The Halfway House

by Sheldon Waithe

?

The troops have been called out, as is necessary, to try to curb the entirely predictable surge in violent crime. No right-thinking citizen is surprised that the murder count continues to swell towards last year’s record breaking 600 mark and perhaps those same citizens recognize the calling out of the Defence Force Reserves for what it is, a knee jerk reaction.

Yes, it is necessary – something, anything, must be done – but how effective is this action when it reeks of being a stop gap plaster, a periodic panacea? In keeping with the common practice to which we have become accustomed, it is a half reaction, where it is equally important to be seen to act, rather than implement meaningful action with longer lasting positive results.

Despite the much-vaunted claims that the Reserves will hunt down and disarm the perpetrators of violent crime, their targets remain the foot soldiers of our one-sided war. Any action against them will resemble the Hydra of Greek mythology, cut off its head and two more will replace it. By which time, the Reserves will have done their duty, the Christmas to Carnival period will have gone off relatively smoothly (except for the hundred odd murders and home invasions that will take place) and we will still be left with the same levels of gun crime.

The point is this: if we are going to make use of the precious resource that is the Defence Force and marry it to the police service, why not do so with intention and intelligence? The reserves should be brought in as part of an overall strategy to go after more than just the foot soldiers and their guns; make best use of the resource by going after the source of the gun imports. Anything else is simply putting a plaster on the wound only for it to be ripped off later after matters have cooled down. Which leaves us with the same situation and the incredulity that an action as major as calling out the Reserves to address violence and murder, still ranks as ‘spinning top in mud’.

Consider that as you witness joint patrols that will hopefully bring a reduction in murders to allow the population to have some semblance of that basic tenet of safety and security in their own land. It is simple logic, if you are taking the step to use the Reserves then do it meaningfully or not at all.

If that comes across as harsh then it is entirely appropriate because these are harsh times. We recognize that the source of our gun crime comes from importation of the weapons, we are imploring foreign entities to help us with the matter, but we are doing nothing to help ourselves. At no point in our history can we point to an implemented strategy that targeted the source of gun imports; calling out the Reserves represents a golden opportunity to do so, to take matters into our own hands, if it was part of a proper overall strategy to create a dent in the murder rate. ?

We desperately need the leaders to think critically and strategically on this matter. But the culture of halfway thinking has permeated the national psyche, which is why there is crowing about finding a major stash of guns and ammunition (well done, by the way) but there are no arrests because no surveillance was undertaken to detect the source. Are we so desperate for a success story that we are happy for just half of the success?

Halfway measures allow for the conviction – finally – of a human trafficker, only for him to escape. The halfway culture allows for the lack of accountability after the discovery of a million dollars spent on ladders, that do not even serve half their purpose because they cannot be mounted onto the firetrucks. Or a building fitted to house the highest office for criminal prosecution, that never gets occupied. Or a wonderful supposedly technologically advanced control center that can monitor the nation, yet no convictions arise for any monitored violations, because half the CCTV cameras do not work or have not been erected.

Halfway thinking is simply not going to suffice because people are not getting half-killed or bandits are not invading half their home, or only pieces of guns are being imported. Total thinking to deal with the totality of our crime problem. This is what is required and anything that does not encompass that sort of overall strategy because a sinister status quo is maintained, is halfway thinking.

The type of thinking where the leaders believe that soundbites will reassure the public, lost in the thought process of one’s own cluelessness of both the simplicity of going after the true source of crime in T&T, and the complexity of how to execute such an undertaking in a compromised society.

We can start with the polygraph tests that the Minister of National Security is piloting through Parliament. The courageous observation by the Minister is “that there are too many criminals in the police service” and a lie detector will help weed out those elements. Given the levels of corruption that facilitate said crime, the implementation of such tests across the board, rather than halfway, is the way to lead by example. From MPs downwards, to help target the source of the runaway crime. Maybe then we can make significant additions to the halfway house. ??