While I feel for the family and friends of deceased officer Anson Benjamin who died so heroically in the line of duty, I do not think a one-off payment of one million dollars to his family is appropriate. I would much prefer to see a more long-term type arrangement to assist the loved ones he has left behind.
I have always felt that the announcement of a one million dollar payment to the family of officers killed in the line of duty was a political one designed to garner political points.
It was sensational and intended to show people that the “government cared.”
However, let us be realistic. If such a payment were made in one lump sum all kinds of hangers on will converge on the family with some kind of sad story and that million dollars will soon disappear.
A more-meaningful solution will be for the government to make arrangements for the deceased’s family to receive a monthly sum sufficient to compensate them for the loss of income resulting from the death of their loved one.
These payments should continue at least up until the time the deceased would have attained retirement age, and thereafter a reduced amount should be paid for a minimum of five years.
This arrangement should be put in place for policemen, firemen, coast guard, and others whose job places them in more danger than the average citizen.
Such an arrangement would place less strain on the Treasury’s cash flow as an investment fund can be set up by the Government whereby monthly contributions are made, and then invested to generate sufficient returns to make any anticipated payments.
Such an arrangement would ease the minds of those who protect and serve us on a daily basis as they would know that the state would provide some meaningful support for their loved ones in the event of their death.
Vikram Persad
Lange Park, Chaguanas