#Providenciales, August 12, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Some say there is an atmosphere of fear in this country and so many residents are afraid to speak out and say how they really feel. I am not sure whether or not, that statement is accurate but that is the general feeling of many.
Personally,
my greatest fear is the fear of God. Because I fear God, I will not do anything
contrary to the word of God despite the temptations. Therefore the fear of God
keeps me on the right path.
Being
fearful of things and individuals will cause you not to participate in certain
events, discussions or things. Some of us may take risks hoping we will not get
caught. On the other hand, many of us are very fearful and will not take the
risks to engage in things contrary to the law.
I believe
one of the main reasons why there are so many crimes and guns is due to the
fact that the criminals are fearless. Therefore we must create an atmosphere of
fear for these criminals.
How to create an atmosphere of fear for criminals?
We must
strengthen the human resources in the Police Department by recruiting
experienced, well built and matured police officers. The criminals are not
afraid of some of the current police officers. They look at some of them as
buddies and children.
We must
also ensure that there is a visible presence of police officers throughout all
communities in the Turks and Caicos 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. In addition, the officers must provide
confidence and trust to the community so that the residents can report the
crimes to the police, thus creating fear for the criminals. People are afraid
to report crimes and the criminals know that.
We must
deploy undercover cops throughout the country and get adequate information and
evidence on these criminals and gangs so they can be prosecuted and sent to
jail. This will frightened them.
Some
believe that life in prison is too good for some of the criminals as it is
alleged that they have too many privileges including access to a mobile phone.
As a result some of them commit crimes to return to jail. If this is the case, then
we must ensure that prison life is a deterrent so criminals will not want to go
to prison and hopefully not commit these violent acts.
We must
also strengthen our laws by making the penalties stiffer and longer which
should send a strong message to the criminals.
We must
increase our presence at all ports of entry and exit and thoroughly investigate
individuals for guns and other weapons. Randomly check homes, vehicles and bars
for guns.
Invest in
signage throughout the community about the consequences of committing crimes.
Use as
many police dogs as possible to track down criminals. This should create a lot
of fear for criminals.
What if the criminals remain fearless?
While an
atmosphere of fear may perhaps alleviate criminals from engaging in criminal
activities, there will be some who will remain fearless due to psychological
and spiritual issue. This of course will require major intervention such as
deliverance, counselling and rehabilitation.
Conclusion
I know
there is a cry that we need to find jobs for our people so the crimes can be
reduced. I am not convinced that this is the case as there are people who are
working and simultaneously committing crimes.
I
personally believe if we start fearing God, start fearing the laws of our
country and start fearing the police officers, it will be the beginning of the
resolution and alleviation of crimes in our country.
Finally, if we can spend millions of dollars annually on SIPT cases then certainly we should be able spend millions of dollars to create an atmosphere of fear for the criminals thus providing a safety niche for our residents.
By Drexwell Seymour