The society has to make up its mind how it wants to deal with crime. On the one hand there are calls from significant segments that we should give prisons officers guns to protect themselves, as well as allow police officers to retain their service revolvers while off duty.
On the other, the religious fraternity posits that there are too many guns in T&T.
The over-militarisation of the uniformed forces is what is responsible for the high level of violence in the society, not only because police guns inevitably end up in the hands of criminals, but also because the criminals use their connections to obtain a greater number of more and more sophisticated weaponry to counter the increasing armoury of the police.
What we need is a de-escalation of the aggression in the society. It is well known and irrefutable that violence begets violence and the bravado espoused by the heads of our uniformed forces only provokes a greater reaction from the lawless.
Not that the bravado brings results or impresses the gang leaders who probably roll on the floor laughing when they hear these mouthings.
Karan Mahabirsingh
Carapichaima