By STEVE ALVAREZ
There was an article written in one of the daily newspapers where the author indicated her desire to feel safe again. She stated that the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) had degenerated into a big “we against them” mess.
The desire for order in our society is shared by most of the population. The government’s desire to address lawlessness and to improve order in our society while commendable, cannot be fulfilled with higher fines and zones of special operations.
The disorder in our society points to years of managerial incompetence.
In the societies where crime is low and civility is high like Canada and many European countries there are no special zones, just proper structure.
It is illegal to break the speed limit, to park illegally, and to dump garbage indiscriminately. If one were to break these laws, they must know that they will face an efficient justice system.
If, however, one is aware that they can break the law with varying levels of impunity, then the society will degenerate into one of lawlessness and eventually chaos.
In Trinidad & Tobago there are no structured police patrols. One day there will be a roadblock or a group of police timing speeding cars along the highway and on other days one can speed as much as one wants if there are no flashing lights indicating police activity.
If one were to ever get arrested for most crimes except murder, one can be free on bail for years before going to court and if the crime is very serious, it is supposedly common practice to get a high priced lawyer who usually gets people off, or intimidate witnesses or bribe the appropriate person to have the case dismissed or thrown out.
In general, the population have very little confidence in the legal system as operated in Trinidad & Tobago.
The law seems to take care of those with the money to successfully navigate the system and punish the poor seeking justice.
If the writer if the article that seeks to feel safe really want to feel safe, then there must be a major restructuring of the governance of the country.
A governance structure that is structured and efficient and not simply hope that a political party can fix things with punitive measures.
There are international models that one can look at to see what works and what fails. There must be efficient policing and have that integrated with a working local governance model.
The legal system must allow for quick and fair justice, not years of delay. The infrastructure on the roads must be improved by fixing the potholes, having proper lighting and modern pertinent signage.
Unless there is a concerted effort to restructure the management of Trinidad & Tobago, lawlessness and chaos will prevail and no number of fines and punitive lock down of communities will fix things.
God Bless Our Nation.
