You can’t count on our Minister of National Security and MP of Laventille West for much. He’s probably not going to represent his constituents. He’s unlikely to present a coherent plan for addressing crime (because plans aren’t his job, policy is). You’re not even going to get him to spare you a little $20 if you’re hungry. But one thing the Honourable Fitzgerald Hinds will always do is put his foot in his mouth when it comes to discussing his portfolio. The man has never met a crime-related controversy he didn’t want to dive right into. He might just be the MVP of politicians who say the darndest things… locally, at least.

That’s why, when I was scrolling through the day’s news and came across a report on yesterday’s press conference, I knew we were in for something good. You see, when gunmen run up in Port of Spain General Hospital to finish a murder they started in the street, it’s not enough for our National Security Minister to dismiss it as a “gang-related” killing (though he did try).

So there he was, at his office, frustrated and angry (according to Newsday), preparing to explain to the citizens of T&T why anyone would dare to commit such a heinous act. And that’s where things went off the rails. Because—though our leaders have elevated buck-passing to an art form—when it is literally your job to lead efforts to secure our nation, there aren’t a lot of places you can lay the blame if your goal is to make sure it never falls on you or your colleagues.

Thus, we were presented with Fitzgerald Hind’s Six Obstacles to Crime-Fighting™.

Obstacle 1: Our Constitutional Rights

He said lawyers were using certain sections of the Constitution, such as sections 4 and 5 – which deal with enshrined rights such as liberty, freedom of movement, freedom of the press, freedom of activity, and freedom of worship – to thwart the state’s crime-fighting efforts.

Hinds said section 5 dealt with matters pertaining to bail, the right to be heard, and the right to having an attorney.

He said section 13 allows for laws that may be inconsistent with sections 4 and 5, provided they are reasonably justifiable in a society that respects individual rights and freedoms.

Joey Bartlett. Frustrated, fed-up Hinds says: Crime-fighting being thwarted. (5 June 2024). T&T Newsday

You read that right. It appears that our National Security Minister believes that our constitutional rights–the rights and freedoms that belong to every law-abiding citizen (and, yes, the non-law-abiding ones too)–are getting in the way of his crime-fighting efforts. That’s a wild thing to say in a country that knows what happens when our leaders remove our rights for the sake of crime-fighting. It almost suggests that there’s no legal way for the State to prosecute violations of the law, which… doesn’t make any sense at all.

Obstacle 2: Our Very Nature as a Society

He acknowledged that June 2’s incident was not the first time an attack had taken place at a hospital, specifically PoSGH, and said other shootings have also taken place at police stations and even at the Prime Minister’s residence.

“These crimes are carried out by opportunists, exploding in violence from time to time. It can happen anywhere.”

He described TT as an extremely violent society, with criminals using assault weapons which originated from the United States, where most were purchased legally and shipped to TT.

Joey Bartlett. Frustrated, fed-up Hinds says: Crime-fighting being thwarted. (5 June 2024). T&T Newsday

Every time a leader describes us as a “violent society,” an angel loses its wings, an officer loses his uniform and weapon, a CCTV camera malfunctions, and the head of an intelligence agency gets detained for questioning. ‘Cause if it’s true that crime can happen anywhere and our society is inherently violent, what can our leaders ever hope to do about it?

Obstacle 3: Our Major Appliances

“To get through our legal ports, they disguise them in refrigerators, washing machines, and all kinds of other ways. They break them down, and some parts came in separately, making it extremely difficult, though not impossible, for detection.”

Hinds said in the past 18 months, his ministry has stepped up efforts at the airport and transit sheds run by the Customs and Excise Division, resulting in curtailed activity as part of border-tightening efforts.

“Alongside government’s policy of firearm retrieval, the TTPS is mandated to seek out and confiscate these weapons, returning them to places of safety and lawful hands.”

Joey Bartlett. Frustrated, fed-up Hinds says: Crime-fighting being thwarted. (5 June 2024). T&T Newsday

Listen. For YEARS I have been hearing about our “porous borders.” Iv’e heard how drugs and guns are sneaking in on various secluded beaches under the cover of darkness. And I’ve been told there just aren’t enough eyes to watch everywhere at once. This has been the narrative even as news broke about one drug being discovered in exported orange juice tins and another found among frozen chicken parts. And now we have Hinds admitting that guns are waltzing past Customs hidden in refrigerators and washing machines. Given how much time Customs seems to spend suffering everyone except wholesale importers, I am just flabbergasted to learn that they aren’t peeking inside Whirlpools and Maytags the way they should be.

Given that the importation of contraband through our legal ports isn’t, by any means, a new issue, I sure do hope Hinds and Co. can crack this case soon.

Obstacle 4: Our Youth

He strongly denied claims that there were no opportunities for young people who then turn to a life of crime, calling such assertions “absolutely untrue” and “rubbish.” Hinds said the government not only provides educational opportunities but also passes laws to combat crime, aiming to obliterate gangs and divert young people to positive pathways.

“For those unwilling to change, the goal is to incarcerate them to protect law-abiding citizens.”

Joey Bartlett. Frustrated, fed-up Hinds says: Crime-fighting being thwarted. (5 June 2024). T&T Newsday

According to Hinds himself, about 40% of our population is de youth and dem. So if this is the pla-er, policy, I imagine he has some numbers to back it up. For example, what percentage of the youth population is being engaged in these opportunities? About how many of them are engaged in crime? Have they all been offered these opportunities he’s so proud of? Do we have prison capacity to house the ones who aren’t interested?

Obstacle 5: Our Opposition

He described the opposition’s lack of support as a challenge in Parliament and quoted Minister of Housing Camille Robinson-Regis, who said there is a symbiotic relationship between crime and some decision-makers. Hinds added that this relationship sometimes feels more “Siamese.”

When drafting laws to protect citizens from criminals, Hinds said, the government also considers the opposition’s likely objections, as it often opposed such legislation.

“We draft laws with the criminals and the opposition in mind, knowing they are likely to object.”

Joey Bartlett. Frustrated, fed-up Hinds says: Crime-fighting being thwarted. (5 June 2024). T&T Newsday

This might just be the wildest thing to come out of that press conference because if the National Security Minister is aware of a relationship between criminals and his Parliamentary colleagues, surely he has an obligation to address it. I mean, his boss is busy calling on citizens to share information with the police (more on that later) and here he is declaring that he and the Housing Minister suspect the opposition of having a close (“conjoined” is the word he was looking for there) relationship with crime. And it’s not as if we don’t have circular legislation designed to address the matter. If the person in charge of our national security can’t figure this one out, I don’t know what they expect from the rest of us.

Obstacle 6: Our Judicial System

Hinds said the prison, probation service, public defender, courts and office of the Director of Public Prosecutions all make up the criminal justice system, and he believes these systems are not operating as efficiently, smoothly or swiftly as they should.

He said the “slowness” of the system benefits criminals, as prolonged cases lead to witness death, loss of enthusiasm, susceptibility to threats and even withdrawal of testimony.

Joey Bartlett. Frustrated, fed-up Hinds says: Crime-fighting being thwarted. (5 June 2024). T&T Newsday

As the saying goes, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and this right here is how I know Hinds isn’t the jester he pretends to be. Between the fact that Customs is letting weapons in and the fact that the judicial system is busy dragging cases out until the witnesses and the victims have died, he knows where the real issues are when it comes to tackling crime in this place. But to focus on the issues directly under the remit of his Ministry and those of his colleagues, would require them to stop trying to place the blame at the feet of the very people who are feeling the effects of their failures.

Honourable Mention

Which brings me to the other politician saying the darndest things this week:

Dr. Rowley is right in that criminals don’t fear consequences. Why should they, when the TTPS’ murder detection rate dropped to 8% for the period from January 1st to April 1st 2024 (it was a dismal 16% for the same period last year)? Mind you, a detection rate simply applies to an arrest, not a conviction. If someone inclined to commit murder knows they have a 92% chance of getting away with it, why wouldn’t they go for it?

As for his request for law-abiding citizens to put their lives on the line to hand the police the information they need to make those arrests… Unfortunately, given how often crimes are committed by people wearing what looks suspiciously like police uniforms, and what tends to happen to those who do put their lives on the line to do their civic duty, perhaps that shouldn’t be the first port of call when it comes to addressing our crime-fighting challenges.

Side-note, has anyone heard from our recently-extended, prayerful Commissioner of Police on this one? Last I heard, she was promising additional resources to fight crime in Tobago…