I REFER to the increased presence of police officers and traffic wardens on the nation’s roads. I have been observing this effort by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the Ministry of National Security for some time and I want to extend my sincere congratulations to them. The increased presence which I thought would initially last until the Christmas season was over, did not. To my surprise the initiative is ongoing and it brought with it a sense of security, safety and national pride for me as a commuter. Yes, doing the right thing is almost always the hardest thing but think about it; life is so much easier when we do the right thing as opposed to the wrong thing. I anticipate that this will make a mark on the way we citizens respect the traffic laws and abstain from criminal activities.

Of course, police presence may not deter everyone. We law-abiding citizens will become more vigilant and try to maintain the right practices while on the roads but the criminals and rogue elements, they are apparently smarter than we give them credit for because they know how to jump though the loopholes wherever they exist.

Remember the old adage, “the devil finds work for idle hands”. Let us not leave room for the devil to build an army that we may lose to should we engage in a battle. Let it be our new normal. Seeing law enforcement personnel working hard on the roads, patrolling, directing cars to avoid traffic, deterring citizens from criminal activities, maintaining order where there seems to be none and making our country safer. This will benefit us in years to come if we do right and be obedient to the law of the land.

So, again, thank you to the ministers of the respective ministries, the hard-working police officers and traffic wardens who labour on a daily basis, working hard to ensure that our country becomes a safer place. I can only be optimistic at this point and hope and pray that this will continue. Let us give credit where credit is due. Let us work with the law enforcement officers by doing the right thing. Be an example!

Malissa Burton-Valentine .