‘Hit the road Jack’. The old man whispered the words. He never really speaks out loud but the surprising thing was he could connect the name to a voice on the television. Vernie continued mumbling but my thoughts were already on our erstwhile Minister of National Security – and the solution to our crimefest that my demented father -in-law had inadvertently provided.
Crime or its solution if you will, seems to have eluded consecutive governments in this small pisspot of a country. But what if they were to concentrate working the roads instead of trying to fight it on a digital front, or as they fantasize, from an aerial perspective – C’mon we know that there’s not been a lot of flying over the hills of Laventy, given the propensity the boyz in the hood have shown for plinking helicopters and all else that passes near the Hills.
Holding the roads might be cheaper for Jack. He’d have less of a maintenance bill to worry about for starters. All police know how to use cars, given the posh rides they use are great for checking chicks and all. Wink wink nudge nudge Jack. But all police do not necessarily know how to use computers, nor aircraft for that matter. So why continue to buy the fuzz very expensive things that lie outside their realm of understanding? To continue along that line is worse than error Jack. It’s larceny – of taxpayer bucks.
It’s arguable Jack, that the Idle and Evil Ones couldn’t perpetrate a drive-by without wheels, hence old Vernie’s recommendation to hit the road. It’s seems a valid point too that since more crimes affect the normal taxpayer along the highways, byways and car parks, of course you’d want to hit the road sir. And lest we forget, the biggest argument for visible policing is visibility. What’s more visible than the old police blue an whites.?
While we’re at it, do not worry that we the citizenry will worry too much about the noise from the sirens, nor glare of the flashers. We are already almost totally deaf to the racket sirens make. Fuss not about the distraction to the community about the lights on the government vehicles either, the many government motorcades have already desensitized us. Totally.
There’s one thing though Jack. Do the cars yeh, but ease up on arsenal tho. The vast amount of guns in the police hands are gonna bite us back in the collective ass. By now you’d might want really consider all this. Becuz I’m saying that if if the UK can police its much bigger landmass by virtue of its roads, and not by virtue of firepower, why shouldn’t we? In T&T the citizenry are being placed in a position of having to find countermeasures for personal protection that involve lead and gunpowder. It’s not going to work out well Jack. Hasn’t anywhere else.
And Jack before you go. As you will. When the fiscal countermeasures you’re trying don’t work. Do leave a lil something for the next minister to work with. Leave a good example of responsible leadership. Patronage and leadership can oft be confused in this little land of ours. I’ve seen you come hither lately jack as a patron extraordinaire. As leader? Well I’ve yet to witness the transformation. But I’ve got to run Jack. See ya. Oh! I can finally make out what father-in-laws on about. He’s singing Ray Charles’ old hit. I can just make out the lines…
‘..cause it’s understood,
you ain’t got no money,
you just ain’t no good’.
Hey Jack?