Dear Editor,
There are more frustrated people (if I may use that word) on the island than it seems. I dare state this because of the feedback I have been getting from prominent citizens of the country. I can possibly fill the centre page of the paper if I would take time to write a little part of the observations made by those who can know.
But I will limit it to my part. A lady who not so long ago gave birth to a baby girl wanted to know if she could call the police for the driver (not sure if he is the owner) of a car with black tint who plays very loud music next to where she lives. Because in the past I had heard that the police can’t do anything about the tint, which remains unbelievable to me, I decided to try and get the correct information about the problem with black tinted glass on motor vehicles.
You see, if I am a professional then I am supposed to know everything about my profession.
When I worked as a police officer I never and I will repeat “never” answered anyone who wanted information “I don’t know”. I made sure to direct them to where they could get the information they needed.
Nowadays all of the different instances are advocating to go online, whereas continuously the systems are down. And I can go on and on.
Not so long ago a lady said to me, “Russell, in all you days we used to see police and all you didn’t have airconditioned cars.” They know me by now, because in cases like that I always smile. I smile because it is not only the police. The public in general is not being served by another human being, but by a phone, a (talking) machine or you are told to submit your complaint in writing.
The lack of personal contact is manifesting itself into violent discourse. In this day and age with modern and sophisticated telecommunication, one would think that on a sixteen-square-miles piece of land government entities would work hand-in-hand and that telephone contact among departments would be an asset. On the contrary one is obliged to put one’s complaints in writing.
One department cannot approach the other department even though certain things are clear. At least that is my understanding. Probably I am still under the influence “stop it before it gets out of hand”, that is why I am expecting the other law-enforcement entities to be proactive. I continue to maintain that prevention is better than cure. That is one of the sayings I learned from the Dutch at a very young age already in primary school. “Voorkomen is beter dan genezen”. So I am still surprised that this practice is not kept by us.
I strongly believe, no, let me state it this way: I know that when drivers are kept in check tranquillity reigns. And there is no one in authority, male or female, who can try to say that he or she does not understand where I'm coming from.
Do something, do not wait until it hits home.
Russell A. Simmons
