THE EDITOR: Caricom leaders and our Prime Minister sat down for two days last week to discuss crime and violence as a public health issue. Now what?

Of course, I am not expecting positive results immediately, but there are so many aspects of crime I do not believe requires a symposium to deal with. We need to get real and use common sense.

May I add that is it now we realise we must invest heavily in sports, VAPA and trades or technical vocational education, to name a few, so that our young people would have something positive to do?

Have we buried our heads in the sand for too long?

Now what about addressing and arresting the "big fish"? How come in 2023, none of them have been arrested, let alone charged, for bringing in guns and drugs? Is it because they are the high-society folks or the untouchables? Or do they finance some or all political parties?

I seriously doubt that any youth living in economically and socially depressed areas would have the resources or network and funding to bring in illegal firearms.

Also, what about those other big fish involved in modern-day slavery? Trafficking young children and women with impunity? When will these big fish be reeled in?

I am sick and tired of the ole talk in this country when it comes to how to deal with crime. Poverty, illiteracy, lack of proper parenting and high unemployment rates all contribute to crime. The root causes are known, so deal with them!

The levels of injustice and corruption taking place in this country daily are beyond nauseating.

Imagine, legitimate businessmen and women have to struggle to get a firearm to defend themselves but the bandits have easy access to AR15s etc. Is that not injustice?

Citizens are prisoners in their own homes while bandits and gunmen roam around without hindrance. Is that not injustice?

When we really decide to get serious about bringing down the "big fish," then and only then will we truly get a handle on this crime situation. Until then, I couldn't care less about a symposium filled with old talk and plenty fancy food.

JEANIE ALI

Port of Spain

The post Caricom's ole talk on crime appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.