Trinidad & Tobago Carnival 2014 & Crime

Why You Should Not Worry

Christmas done. 2014 Carnival is about to descend on Trinidad and Tobago.  Once again the topic of crime and carnival raises its ugly head.

Carnival is intrinsic to our culture, our tradition it will not be stopped because the number of murders have skyrocketed.

The Brits recently issued a warning to its citizens to be wary when visiting our little paradise in the sun.

Is it justified?  Probably is because if my family was going to visit here, I'll also tell them to be careful, the saye I would if they were going to visit New York City.

To be honest, 2014 murders are happening quicker than the fire works on New Years day, one right after the other.  Nothing like in Mexico but with a population of only 1.3 million people it looks bad.

According to our loud mouth National Security Minister who along with the Commission of Police are singing a "serious crime is down" song for anyone who will sing along with them.  We the people think that murder is serious, that you cannot get more serious than murder and exclude it from other serious crimes.

The National Security Minister is also of the opinion, which he voiced publicly, that it was only criminal killing criminal, therefore decent law abiding citizens are all safe. I wonder what the family of the Pennywise heiress thinks about that assurance.

Let's be real here, the raw reality is that the T&T government cannot stop crime.  No government can.  All any governments can do is pass legislation to deter crimes and install a protective service apparatus to enforce the law.  That's it, so don't fall into that political trap of believing that the government is to blame.

The government cannot stop crimes of passion. The government also cannot stop crimes triggered by materialistic greed for material possessions. Crime is symbolic of a moral and ethical decay. It takes a specific train of thought that would allow anyone to decide that it's ok to take someone's life in the commission of a robbery or for payment in some way. It is also symbolic of a failure, we did not get here suddenly, it's a process' still uncompleted.

What we can blame the government for woefully neglecting their responsibility to enforce the laws.  Detection rate of almost all crimes are ridiculously low, that is our weakness, cities with millions more people have a much higher detection rates.  The integrity of law enforcement officers are more likely than not,  questionable to most citizens.  Most would prefer not to give evidence or in any way become a witness. State witnesses are typically killed, in fact one happened this week.

This is where our successive governments have failed the citizens.  Instead of focusing on detection they prefer to call for new legislation like the aged old Death Penalty that has been proven not to be a crime deterrent in so many other countries. Today with billions of oil dollars spent we still have no DNA labs or mandatory fingerprinting laws or the expertise to run a crime lab.

Instead our police officers are given brute training with no accountability for their actions.  This should be the government's focus and stop selling the lie that they can stop crime.

In the meanwhile, our annual Carnival will continue.  We will party and enjoy what we call "we life" we will not let the likelihood of a murder or two stop us from keeping our tradition alive.  Carnival is part of the process.

Trinidad and Tobago is as safe as any other country in the world.  I just had a social media friend come from Madrid, Spain to live and do business here.  I tell you here like I told him, be care the same way you would be careful in Madrid, Kingston, New York or Paris.  Walk on the safe side, with friends in groups.  Don't go in search of drugs or to engage in other illicit activities; you will be safe. And, like you would do in any major city that you are unfamiliar with; pray..

The likelihood of a crime occurring during the Carnival celebrations is a lot higher than normal but that's only because more people increases the possibilities.  Trinidad and Tobago is nothing close to Beirut or Baghdad, bombs don't just explode killing people by the tens and twenties.

People who are really unfamiliar with Trinidad and Tobago and want to know more should read The Old Board House.  It is one of the more recent books on Trinidad and Tobago, a revised edition by Chad Modeste. .

Visit amazon.com to find more information of crime in Trinidad and Tobago. .

Is Trindad & Tobago Becoming The Murder Capital of The Caribbean?

Too Much Focus on the Wrong Metric 

Using the murder rate to measure the effectiveness of Trinidad and Tobago’s law enforcement performance is irrational.    

That’s putting it gently; we all know that law enforcement agencies do not commit murders.  At least, when they do it’s in the “prevention” of crime and not counted as murder. 

What people do in their homes, in the bushes at night or more alarmingly in broad daylight is not and will never be under the control of any law enforcement agency.   What law enforcement agencies do in response to a murder is the only thing they can actually control.

There are specific actions that should be monitored and measured that are never mentioned in any report on crime.  For example, the response time to a crime.   

How fast are the police on the scene after a crime has been reported?  That number will give citizens a measure of assurance that their calls will be answered.  

Another very important number to know is the conviction rate.  How many crimes are actually solved?  How many went to court and a conviction was obtained?  Having that number would work wonders on the rate of murders.  

It really is impossible to change what is not measured. 

When we look at the wrong number the problem persist.  There is a saying that goes "we attract more of what we focus on". In this case, is it because we focus on the murder rate?.   

That is not rocket science. Any serious law enforcement effort must take these metric into consideration.  Say that we had 10 less murders this year than last is what is know in public relations as "spinning"..

The people and by extention the government should not accept the murder rate as a measure of efficiency, 

For the sake of public safety let’s stop calling the wrong number.

Does that make sense?

Guns Don't Solve Crimes, People Do

"Why We Are Losing The War On Crime"

It’s funny how words shape human thinking, how we see things and how we respond.

Trinidad and Tobago is a militaristic society. Citizens accept the presence of police officers in full battle gear topped off with a bullet proof vest and AK47 in parties. That's normal.

How many police officers lives were saved by these vest? Law enforcement efficiency is equivalent to a display of fire power. The justification is that the criminals are all armed and dangerous so the police must also be more armed, (and more dangerous). A local arms race.

Somebody should whisper in Mr. Tibbs ear. He seems to be more concerned about his image than getting results. Coming from Canada he should know that big weapons are only useful in full all out fire fight and not on normal days in the crowded city or at packed parties. 

Are they winning the war on crime? 

Apparently not, because now the government is deploying army personnel; are we in a state of emergency? These army boys like nothing better. Without a lick of training they now can assist the police in doing what they have not been doing. But that begs the question... 

Why do we have an Army anyway? 

Do we need to defend ourselves from Grenada, Martinique or Venezuela? Or are do they exist to fight the "war on drugs" coming from other lands? How effective were they in the 1990 coup?

Trinidad and Tobago faces no external threat and even if we did our military will stand down and surrender their weapons to superior forces.

Would not an efficient police service be more useful than a battalion enlisted men whose only purpose is to assist the police? 

Wake up Trinbago; "crime fighting" "war on crime and the war on drugs should not be taken literal. Crime fighting is detecting, identifying, sorting, building an air tight case against suspected criminals and isolating them from society. 

You need guns but you also need crime detection skills and equipment. You need man power but not armed reinforcements. We have to power to make a difference but believe that armed force is the answer. 

And while we are on the topic of power versus force, one minister recently said in Parliament that the "hanging bill will solve crimes". Not reduce but solve crimes. If a minister is so confused to think that a bill will solve crime we are certainly in a desperate state of affairs.

Why would a murderer worry about getting hanged when they know they will not caught? And when someone is actually caught the likelihood of being acquitted is always better than them being convicted. Here is a suggestion...

Why not dissolve the local army, train them in law enforcement procedures? Screen out the bad seeds in the law enforcement service. Invest the saving on real crime fighting solutions such as a DNA lab, a finger print and criminal database with the network to support it.

Too simple huh?

Instead, lets buy more weapons. Suspend and transfer police officers and cover up police brutality. Pass more legislation and pay foreigners to run our police force. Lets depend on the results of torture, intimidation and superior weapons to solve crime. 

Is that working?

GPS TRACKERS ARE LIKE SEATBELTS IN TRINIDAD -LIFE SAVERS-

Why This Technology Cannot Be Ignored

Today our local criminals are unlike criminals of 10, 20 or 30 years ago; crimes are different, less sophisticated,brazen, violent and unforgiving. They use deadly state-of-the-art weaponry with excessive force, are insensitive and not averse to taking a life. According to TnT Police Crime and Problem Analysis Branch CAPA) there were a total of 6,541 serious crimes in 2008. Amazingly, for the first six months of 2009, serious crimes recorded are 8,010. For both years the detection rates are below 2 percent but there is a response. The country has reached a state of unprecedented violent and serious crimes. There is a peculiar fact of most serious crimes.

In some form or fashion, most at some point involves the use of an automobile. Usually, because of the need to be mobile, or as a get away alternative; an automobile is essential. It is also known that many serious crimes begin with the stealing/taking of an automobile. Here again, CAPA reported that in 2008, 710 vehicles were stolen (15 detected) and in 2009 so far that figure is 853 (40 detected) for the first six months. Do you see a trend here?

Stealing by stealth is the old fashion way of acquiring an automobile. Thieves of yesteryear could easily hot wire your vehicle and be gone within a few short minutes. Today, it’s even quicker and easier because by using force they can effortlessly bypass the sophisticated audible anti-theft alarms like Viper or other brands of annoying noise makers. They work fine but are totally useless when a gun is involved.

Currently most proactive, sophisticated anti-theft alarms available on the market are ineffective against the new crime wave. Most insurers, banks and financial institutions require that a security device be installed in every new vehicle. So now, aside from these devices becoming a numbing annoyance, now, even the unsophisticated criminal knows how to disable them. But technology has upped the ante. Grass root organizations advocating the use of technology are beginning to form. Trinidad and Tobago welcomes GPS.

GPS tracking technology is not new to Trinidad and Tobago because there have been a number of companies offering some type of GPS tracking service since the mid nineties. These companies have adopted what they considered a complete security package where they not only track your vehicle but provide a rapid response team to retrieve it and provide roadside assistance as a bundled service. Their business model required an up front purchase of equipment and a monthly maintenance fee to infinity. Because of the high acquisition cost, their target large rental companies, large conglomerates and the affluent.

As with most technological devices, it was only a matter of time before the price went down. The challenge now is not the price but understanding the technology with the variety of models the market. There is a need for understanding on not really “how it works” but “how can it affect your life”. Because of the large selection in the market today with wide ranges of functions and features you just cannot take the word of one supplier. Some consumers are now committed because they have signed contracts obligating them to continue making excessive payments. There are a number of alternatives for getting a GPS tracker without entering into monthly contract to infinity.

The bulk of the new technology is coming out of Japan, China and Taiwan. These devices come with varying capabilities. The fact is that GPS technology can be used anywhere in the globe. There are only a very few points on the globe that cannot be triangulated with the satellites in space.

As such, any GPS device will provide geographic coordinates (longitudinal and latitudinal) for the user. In most of the cases, because the information it provides is coded, a computer must be used in order to locate a vehicle. For the Trinidad and Tobago general public, ease of use, user friendliness and access to a computer becomes a major issue in adopting these devices. The complexity issue is also one of the major weaknesses of non-localized imported devices because it’s a technological challenge to most users.

There are, however, a handful of GPS trackers that incorporates Smart Cellular Phone technology: The smart device which is installed in the vehicle is a microcomputer with landmark databases, GPS tracker, mobile phone and motion detector…. all rolled into one! These devices were designed for general international use, with a few landmarks obtained from public databases and most cannot identify local land marks.
Many still rely exclusively on Google Maps and Google Earth web technology to provide any meaningful information. As such, even when some of these devices use a cell phone the information about the actual location is not readily available. Ease of use is extremely important especially to the general public who may not have access to the internet.

The quality of the device boils down to the quality of the information and how quickly that information is provided. If you live in Trinidad and would like to know more about GPS technology in Trinidad such as: how GPS works, the TT insurance company’s position, the average price range, your options and the criteria you should use when choosing a tracker get the free special report entitled:

“THE IMPORTANCE OF GPS TECHNOLOGY IN THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AUTOMOBILE ANTI THEFT MARKET”

Data Recovery

Used Cars

I Was A Supporter, But I’m No Fanatic

Why I'm No Longer A Party Member

Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon... must inevitably come to pass! -Paul J. Meyer

As many of you who read this blog know I have recently (3 years) returned to Trinidad to live and have become a sort of social activist. My reasons are simple; Trinidad is my home.

My emotions run high about many injustices in the world. Pretty much all of them I can do nothing about. I was never in a position to make any significant contribution in the communities in Boston, MA or Ft. Lauderdale FL. It was not long after my arrival here that I decided that I would not quietly blend into my community.

I think what initially motivated me was a feeling of wanting to give back to the community. As a result, I campaigned to revitalize my community Village Council so that my neighbors would have representation. The government had initiated many social programmes but without an organized active body in the community only the basic services were provided.

The Village Council operates under a constitution and is governed by national and regional organizations. With a long history of providing social services to the immediate community it is strictly non-political. And because of this organization, I ended up in the politics of the country.

Here again the logic was simple. Most of the community supported the People National Movement (PNM), that being a tradition with no apparent logic. From what I had known of the politics of this particular party was that there was a lot of “stupidness” going on internally.

That mattered little at the time because, in my opinion; with or without me the “stupidness” would continue. So my logic was that if this is the party that would most likely win the election, this is the party I would back. In hindsight I think that getting involved in politics should come not from who would win but some other more enduring philosophy. Anyway, here is what happened.

I was elected to the position of Vice President of Party Group 18. As the vice president there were the obligatory weekly meetings to discuss party politics and campaigning to recruit more members. It was at these meetings that I was singled out as not being timid in voicing my opinions about issues.

Maybe it’s because I articulated what I felt with out reservations for party politics. What amazed me most was how the people in the meeting led by the Chairwoman of the Constituency ignored the currents issues in the party. In fact, they fleetingly rationalized what I considered very significant issues related to ethics and morality as practiced by party leaders. Issues like the Finance Minister which I wrote about in one post here.

The constituency Party Group meetings never discussed relevant issues like the high crime rate in the country, the fact that the Prime Minister wanted to purchase a private jet, the close to half a billion dollar mansion he built or the proposed construction of, not one but three, smelter plants in the country. To them these were non-issues. I begged to differ.

My question has always been; how could sane, intelligent people not rebel or even discuss issues that apparently affected their lives? The answer was not readily available but with a little research I now have an answer to the riddle. You could probably guess the reason too; it’s really that obvious. But I digress.

Now here is my dilemma. I am now receiving invitations to what I would call party sponsored events some of which make me appear as if I agree with the party politics. I have received personal invitations to conventions, sporting events and consultations. Some I have attended and some I have ignored because none really every address any of what to me are very relevant party issues.

If you have been following me here you may remember the post on the Summit of the Americas where I related the story when the President of Party Group 18 was denied an invitation because only my name was listed as an invited guest. My protests were ignored and because I did not reach the point I’m today, I accepted it. That too was a revelation.

Well I called it a dilemma but the dilemma lasted for about a day. Today, I’m officially and symbolically burning my party card, symbolic because the promised party card was never delivered. I’m exercising my right as a citizen not to participate.

I’m willing to accept the backlash that I will no longer be invited to functions and meetings that have provided a network of party associates. I was a supporter but I am no fanatic and will continue to be a social activist in the true sense of the word. I refuse to compromise my moral and ethical values for what I could potentially gain from being a member

Thank you for reading my rant.

Be well.