The picture is chaotic, this picture is extremely worrisome.  Its one of the bandits versus the Banks, the police versus the bandits, the security forces versus the security forces, the people versus the security forces and suffering most in this toxic mix are the helpless people of this Federation.  One must not forget that there is an ongoing problem for all businesses as the bandits continue to threaten them.

The picture has been evolving over the past years but over the past weeks the chaos and the fear have reached a new level.  National Bank once boasted proudly of its many branches, bringing services to the rural areas.  Today, on calling National Bank Headquarters and asking to be connected to the Saddlers Branch, a polite and professional voice will respond by saying, “WE NO LONGER OPERATE FROM THAT BRANCH, IT IS CLOSED”.  The National Bank branch at Saddlers is closed because the government led by Denzil Douglas has surrendered to the criminals.  It seems to mean too that National Bank will abandon any quest to spread to the rural areas, increasing accessibility to the people.  The matter is very worrisome because as a dangerous state the government cannot protect its Banking and business institutions, cannot protect its people.

The Sandy Point branch has suffered numerous attacks and the people are worried that this might eventually lead to the closure of the bank.  This is not the way to go, our banks must be given the security which is vital if they are to protect the people and continue to offer services to the society.

Just over a week ago heavily armed masked men made an attempt to rob Royal Bank at Valu Mart.  There was grave danger to the customers and the employees.  The bandits are fully aware that “the security services cannot get the resources to fight crime.”

Not only financial institutions but even police stations are under attack.  The nation was shocked to hear that armed bandits raided the Cayon Police Station.  Actually the police do not seem to be safe against their own kind.  Some time ago the fire hall at the RLB airport was raided by “bandits” and weapon(s) taken.  The nation was shocked to hear of such a brazen attack but being overwhelmed by criminal activity the next crime soon took their attention.

Over the past week a matter surfaced much to the dismay and shockingly to the people.  A police officer was charged for larceny and held without bail.  The issue is that the police was found with the gun that was taken.  These kinds of attacks on police stations and security out posts are what we hear of in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The security forces are not even safe against their very own.  How can the people be confident that the state is able to protect them?

The peoples’ confidence took another nose dive over the past days.  Some time ago the people were told that shots were fired at the hallowed walls of the Government Headquarters, centre of the peoples business.  This issue did not even have its nine days before more murders took their attention.

Again the past days have brought another twist and more worry to all concerned citizens.  The officer on duty has recently been disciplined and suspended for apparently falsifying claims.  These matters unnerve the general public and erode any confidence in the security forces.

This has to be seen in the context of what Colonel Wallace and other members of the security forces who tried to defend on the issue of armed soldiers in Halfway Tree in on last polling day.  Even with the observer newspaper printing and publishing pictures of the soldiers with assault rifles Colonel Wallace had the arrogance to tell the public that there were no soldiers with assault rifles in Halfway Tree.

It is this behavior which explains what happened at the Fire Hall and at the Government Headquarters.  The senior officers and the various ministers of National Security, notably Denzil Douglas, have not been setting a good example.

Numerous citizens have been robbed, homes broken into and businesses robbed.  The Carib Breweries, OD Brisbane all were robbed in the past days.  Women have been raped and an English couple is still recovering from a savage beating.  Citizens are at the point of despair and living in fear.  From Denzil Douglas to his deputy Sam Condor there is still not a handle on the matter of crime.

The public relations department of the police force has been following its new boss Sam Condor in having an aggressive and disdainful approach to the press.  This is just what the criminals want.  In the meantime Denzil Douglas has shown his disdain and contempt for the press at the CARICOM Summit in Jamaica.  The whole region is getting an idea of this Labour governments approach to the press.

All of the criminals’ activity is an expression of the “POWER CULTURE” that Denzil Douglas has brought to the Federation.  Neither government nor the criminals have any respect for Law and Order, no respect for the night of the citizens.

The armed criminals are using their power in the manner of the armed soldiers who were in Halfway Tree last election day.  Based on the behavior of the Security Forces the citizens will have no way to distinguish between them and the criminals.  There are so many conflicts; the people do not know who to turn to for protection.