ROMAN Catholic Archbishop Jason Gordon believes Trinidad and Tobago can win the war on crime by taking back communities, one citizen at a time.
He said the church has been on the frontline doing its part in the fight against crime.
Gordon spoke to reporters on December 30 after mass at the St Joseph RC Church, Scarborough, Tobago, which has been designated as one of seven sacred sites to commemorate the church’s jubilee, celebrated every 25 years.
The jubilee celebration was launched at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain, on December 29.
The mass at St Joseph RC was held on the same day the government implemented a state of emergency to address the spike in murders and gun-related violence.
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Gordon said the church also has been playing its part to minimise crime.
“There are many priests who mentor young men who otherwise would be on the streets. There are many parish groups that hold young people accountable and grow them up in the absence of parenting, in the absence of proper structures for them, especially in their communities.
“There are many times in our schools where we would find students, hold them and carry them through. That’s on the frontline.”
He said in Laventille, Sea Lots and Beetham, the church also has implemented special programmes to address crime and violence.
“But we also have in Laventille, in Sea Lots in Beetham, we have put in special programmes to address crime and violence.
“In Sea Lots, we have a new school opening in January because of the under-development of that community and there will be trades of all kinds, but human development at its very core is for the whole community.”
Saying there has been too much finger-pointing on the issue over the years, he called for a united front to tackle the scourge.
“Let’s stop blaming, let’s stop pointing fingers. Let’s stop doing all the things we have done that have brought us to this. Let’s start taking back our country, one citizen at a time, one child at a time, one community at a time, one area at a time until we have this peaceful country that we know Trinidad and Tobago to be,” he said.
Saying crime and violence should be a concern for every citizen, Gordon urged people to do what they can in their respective circles to eradicate the menace.
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“How can I influence crime and violence? Let’s start by us living with character and doing the right things. Let’s start by us not doing the negativity as we have been doing for so long in this country.
“Let’s start by pointing to a better way forward rather than dragging down to the mud. Let’s start with the media highlighting also what is great in our country because sometimes you could believe that it is only bad things happening, and that takes the whole spirit of the country down.
"There are many things that we, individually, can do.”
He said the government also has its role to play.
“By calling a state of emergency, they have raised the ante now in crime and violence and their leadership on this. But there are things that the Opposition needs to do. There are things that we all have to do if we love this beloved country.”
Gordon said he supported the view that crime should be regarded as a public health issue.
He referred to the Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Port of Spain in April 2023, where the issue was a major talking point.
“Caricom, when they met sometime last year, named crime and violence in the Caribbean as a public health issue. And by raising it to that status, it means that every government in the Caribbean, in Caricom, has to deal with crime and violence at that level.”
Gordon said he subsequently endorsed the position.
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“If we see crime and violence escalating – when we had covid, we knew what we did to make everyone in the country feel safe. And we need to do the same thing to make people safe with the escalating crime and violence in our country.”
