A FEW MONTHS ago, UNC politician Dr Tim Gopeesingh singled out absent fathers for blame when it comes to crime.

Last Friday, acting Commissioner of Police Erla Christopher took a different position and called on mothers to play a role in stemming the problem. Recently, the Prime Minister has called on families as a whole to stop protecting their relatives.

But on Monday, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds widened the net of blame even further.

'It would be nice if I felt I had the full weight of the society behind me,' he said, noting it is the public that has elected him, that pays him and that serves as his 'boss.'

Meanwhile, blood continues to flow. The worst murder toll in living memory continues to climb, triggering unimaginable grief, fear and a profound sense of helplessness.

Though crime is affecting every segment of this society, Mr Hinds is of the apparent view that half the country does not want him to succeed.

Though he sought to present an even-handed assessment, his

carte blanche dismissal of 50 per cent of the population and his assignment of insidious motivations to them without apparent cause itself demonstrated why some might be reluctant to support him.

Indeed, many hold the view that with murders spiralling Mr Hinds has enjoyed far too much support.

Authorities wish members of the public to trust them and to come forward with information.

But who can trust the police in a country in which an officer can be seen to bash the head of a man on the back of a vehicle and that officer is not dismissed but rather reportedly assigned 'desk duty?'

Dr Rowley himself this month suggested there are individuals of 'questionable ilk' who 'collaborate with the criminal element' in the police.

Former top cop Gary Griffith, whom it is safe to say rarely agrees with the PM, is on record as speaking of rogue officers.

And yet the systems meant to regulate the police remain unchanged.

On Monday, Mr Hinds once more pointed fingers at the Opposition without going into details, a position which was possibly as politically expedient as the conduct he alleges in relation to them.

But it is not just politicians who are not singing from the same hymn sheet.

The police and senior government members disagree on whether enough scanning is taking place at ports when it comes to the entry of illegal firearms.

Ordinary members of the public do not have the benefit of the security details that protect our leaders.

While they stoke division and engage in dog whistling, it is the very people chided by Mr Hinds on Monday who must face the consequences of crime being out of control. His failure to show sensitivity to this fact speaks volumes.

The post Out of control appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.