Saved by soldiers and police patrol
THE EDITOR: As I walked to pick up my son from preschool, I happened to see a band of teenaged youngsters who congregated not too far from where I was passing. Trying not to pay attention to them, I walked past them despite their unkind and rude remarks about my body.
Now in this country it is almost normal for women to be teased by sexually-driven males, but this time it was so aggressive that I felt very afraid. From the corner of my eye I could see two of the teens walking behind me, which set me off running.
All I could think about at that point was my child who was not far off waiting for me. But as if by some streak of luck, the young men dispersed. Not too long after I saw a group of policemen and soldiers pass by and one of the soldiers actually asked me if I was OK.
Two things struck me: I knew that the troubled youngsters fled in fear of the police/soldiers, sparing me, and the courtesy and respect given to me as a woman made me feel very much protected.
I know that there are various concerns about soldiers working with the police, but I saw first-hand the great work they are doing in making people feel safe. At the end of the day that is what every parent, child, professional or anybody really would want.
I hope that my fellow citizens and our leaders could understand where I am coming from. All I want is my family’s safety and peace of mind.
Juliana Alben
Beetham Gardens
It is about time TT have in place these joint patrol not only during the day but most active at nighttime .let the criminals know that this would be a permanent patrol and tighten the net by installing motion sensor lights and security cameras in every quadrant of the island. The kids should get a clear message that dysfunctional behavior would not be tolerated and there is no future in becoming a criminal . Socially there must be an all drive to teach our boys and girls to be proud of themselves and worthy of respect .Should be classes on parenting for newly weds .Teach men how to be good fathers so they can improve the self esteem and confidence of our youth.