Dear Editor,
It took the brazen attack on our safety and security in Maho to get the attention of Police Chief Commissioner Carl John and the Chief Prosecutor. What a sad situation! Their worries came way too late and so they do not have my attention at all. The police chief and the prosecutor’s office have failed this community! Neither of them has the capability nor the empathy to deal with the grievances of this society, and so they really need to step down and let others execute their tasks.
So, what is causing this restlessness among the youth? Is it due to economic hardship or just plain rebellion – an uprising against this unfair system – or is it because their fathers have neglected them and it’s their way of escaping the pain of abandonment? Until the source of the matter is being identified, analyzed and tackled in a way that supports the offenders, nothing will change; which keeps the cycle of crime spinning out of control.
Repeatedly, I have stated that there are unseen hands behind these robberies – people who we least expect or may suspect, but there isn’t enough proof to bring them to trial as yet. Apart from this belief, these perpetrators are always armed with guns. Then the question is: Where are these guns coming from? Who are the suppliers, both oversees and locally? And, if the weapons are so rampant and so easily accessible, how do these firearms pass through the different security checkpoints?
There is only one logical answer to this pressing matter, and that is: all sectors of the Justice chain are corroded with corrupted personnel. Here is where the focus needs to be. Because, for guns to flourish like this on a 16-square-mile radius, there must be a well-coordinated system among these corrupted personnel. This is why I have consistently called on Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling to bring in a squad from Holland to monitor the police force, Customs, Immigration and the Coastguard.
These corrupted personnel must be rooted out of the Justice system, because they are not just committing high treason; they are destroying the youth, the country and generations to come. But this monitoring is not limited to guns. What about the drugs that are damaging the future of our youth and disrupting the harmony of several families? Which Justice personnel are allowing the drugs to pass through security spot checks?
So, the visibility of Marines is great, but it is still a minor solution to the surge of robberies, which are influenced by being armed with weapons and possible consumption of some kind of narcotic substance before they commit these crimes. The elimination or the severe reduction in drugs and guns is a major factor in stemming these violent robberies. The Marines would not be here forever. Then when they leave, the cycle repeats itself, because the core of the problem was not tackled.
But robbery is not the only violent act that is committed at gunpoint. How about when spouses are brutally attacked by their drunken or drugged-up partners who use their guns to intimidate and control them? Where are the safety and security for them, when they are too scared to report these incidents? Again, the robberies are visual, but what about the silent and emotional trauma that these other victims are forced to endure?
Very worrisome is that: With all these constant disturbances in security, why haven’t the fathers of these youngsters formed a block and stand up against the behaviour of their children? Are they also victims or, have they become prisoners within their individual households? Just as concerning is that: who are the recipients of these stolen items? Are they sold as is and have we created a society that no longer trusts the Justice system to report a crime?
Equally troubling is the lack of detention cells at the Point Blanche prison. So, when these four (4) culprits and others are caught, would they be released into the community, due to this lack of cell capacity? Is this not a major incentive for breeding these criminals?
To conclude, even though the situation is very disturbing and the community is looking forward to a swift resolution, I sincerely hope that law enforcement would concentrate heavily on these criminals’ psyche, to better understand what is driving them to commit these crimes, rather than focusing on the urge to punish.
Joslyn Morton
