THE GO-TO response for the numerous issues that plague us has always been “more”. For decades, it was simply a matter of “more money”. Each year, ministries saw an increase in their budgets, as there is hardly any real accountability. Ministries returning money to the Treasury at the end of the fiscal year is an unspoken taboo. The general rule is that all monies allocated must be spent to ensure “more” is provided the following year. That was the era when “money was no problem”. It matters not that more of the same thing is a recipe for disaster. That was until recently when a brilliant doctor, who made the trek all the way from Mason Hall, advised us that “we needed to wean ourselves”. He also reminded us that “every road built, every school built...was the government”. I could be wrong, as I have known to be once before, but isn’t State infrastructure one of the many responsibi-lities of a Government? Or perhaps, Dr Keith Rowley was expecting one of the many fast-food outlets to construct roads, schools and State hospitals. He failed to mention every police vehicle purchased. A couple days ago, we saw the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) on the receiving end of 67 new vehicles—SUVs at that. Another report put the numbers at 63. It’s either someone is intentionally lying or someone cannot count. Therein lies the root of the distrust. So what if four vehicles are removed from the fleet for personal use? After all, the same thing happened in October of last year when four of the 93 vehicles provided were assigned for the personal use of the CoP and three deputies; they were four Toyota Land Cruisers—special edition. And then there were the 100 vehicles presented to the TTPS, the Defence Force and Transit Police in February of the same year, 2024. Like many citizens, I, too, have numerous questions about these vehicles. Over the years, all of us would have seen the police vehicle graveyards scattered across the landscape; some in plain sight, others strategically located, perhaps to conceal the TTPS’ organisational and driving incompetence. Just as plainly, we see the numerous accidents involving marked police vehicles, thanks to the many social media platforms. Ironically, most of the accidents occur at traffic lights. But we have been told, again, that this batch of vehicles would be “well maintained”. The Vehicle Maintenance Company of Trinidad and Tobago how-ever suggests otherwise. While this new regime takes credit for delivering these vehicles, we know they were ordered a while back. In his 2023 budget, the last genius of a finance minister promised to deliver 200 vehicles over the next three years. The math suggests there are many more to come. If only the detection rate of serious crimes corresponded with the number of vehicles provided. After all, that would be the major objective behind the procurement of these vehicles. Unless, of course, it is one of the many strategies used to fatten the pockets of a middleman/broker; much like the consistent, pathetic detection rates allow for State contracts of security firms. The TTPS, in their organisational wisdom, from the top down, have been selling this nation a bag of crock packaged as crime initiatives. They have changed uniforms like soccer teams, each year. The leadership also changes as often, with no improvement. They have been provided with all the gadgets required to make policing a science. The one thing they have been unable to secure are body cameras. And the question becomes: why? Recently, the excuse provided by the TTPS’ union was that the battery life of the body cams were incompatible with their shifts. Yet simple research on body cams shows the battery life of the units to be six to eight hours, with the high-end cameras’ batteries lasting about 12 hours. Apparently, it never crossed the purchasing offi-cer’s mind that the purchase of extra batteries would resolve any battery issue. I am suddenly reminded of a statement I came across someplace on social media which said, “When one really wants to do something, they find a way; when they don’t, they find an excuse.” How apt. The key item missing from the TTPS’ crime-fighting arsenal is that of trust and confidence. Such cannot be purchased, like SUVs, guns, or vests. It cannot be purchased through PR gimmicks like “crime shows”, relying on TV talk show hosts as brokers. Trust requires transparency. The narrative of “being shot at and we returned fire” demands more than hearsay. While such narratives may be enough for some, it’s not good enough. Perhaps there is a need to hold off on the purchase of more vehicles and secure some body cams. Rudy Paul Sr