CRIME – causes, effect, rehabilitation, prevention and …

Can you really please people, rather can people really be pleased?
Crime has been for some time now one of the most burning issues in T&T. Almost every person has in some way been affected directly or indirectly by crime of one form or another. There are two main categories of crime; violent "street crime"and “white colour” crime. One is a consequence of the other. For the past ten years, murders in T&T has been on an upward climb with no sign of reversal, not even after billions have been expended on several crime fighting measures and equipment from “eyes in the sky” to “blimps” to “360 degrees radars” to “offshore patrol vessels” to “foreign used crime plans” to a “change in government”. The one constant that continues to prevail is that daily the rate escalates whilst lip service combined with politics seem to be the order of the day.
The new government has resurrected the issue of hanging (the punishment for murder according to the laws of T&T). I am of the view that considering this is the law, it should be carried out and carried out very swiftly. There are those who are against this form of punishment, and they are within their rights to hold this view. However, I cannot agree with the thinking that we should be looking at rehabilitation and prevention, not at this stage, not considering that many of these criminals are repeated offenders who kill mercilessly so they can bling-out (have the latest 1,000 dollar sneaker and rims on the cars they steal).
Yes, rehabilitation and prevention are important factors, but we need to ensure that the vacume is removed, so that the youths are not snatched up and led astray by the negative elements (community leaders). This situation is out of control, and I think there needs to be firm action. I think people believe that what is said by Ministers Warner and Ramlogan regarding hangings means that they will wake up one morning, brush their teeth and grab up people just so and begin to hang. Contrary, there is a process and those who are found guilty would have to go through that process (what should be advocated instead, is that they are afforded proper representation). But I cannot agree that we should not hang them. And please, lets not confuse this either with if we are for or against hanging.
I had raised a possible reason why some may not wish that hangings resume, and this may be because of the composition of those who make up the prison population, the repeated offenders, which is those of African decent. I say this because I am glued to the radio talk shows and daily I hear those who speak on behalf of this group, those who blame Slavery, for example, for the problems of the “black” male in T&T. This is an important issue, its not a race issue and should not be treated as such if we are to fix the problems we face today.
White collar crime is one of the most destructive forms of crimes. This crime take away from the development of a country, the development of the people. There is this other argument that we should also deal with white collar crime and not just focus on violent street crimes. However, the very people who are saying this (they are right by so doing) also say that the new government should move on and stop the witch hunts as they pursue the corruption en mass of the former PNM regime. Where are we going with the foolishness.
However, I must agree that this is very important in the context that white collar crimes impact on the level of street crimes. Board room deals play an important role in terms of how we develop. Those deals take away resources that should be directed to the poor but ends up in the hands of an elite few. Corruption eats away at the country’s ability to develop its people, for every dollar that is corruptly spent you are guaranteeing that a murder, a robbery is committed. Once the resources of a country is limited to an elite few, the long term effects are very bad for all.