00:00High Court Judge Frank C. Passard says Trinidad and Tobago's crime crisis cannot be solved by law enforcement and legislation
00:07alone.
00:09We cannot continue to look myopically to the state to provide every solution.
00:19Speaking at a Rotary Mother's Day celebration where his mother received the Paul Harris Fellow Award,
00:24Justice C. Passard reflected on the role community support plays in shaping society.
00:30We the people must understand that national effort is required to reduce crime.
00:40And this will only be achieved if we can collectively focus upon course correction
00:50and provide constructive support to our youth.
00:57But he warned that too many young people grow up without the love, guidance and supervision they needed during their
01:04formative years,
01:05contributing to instability and criminal behavior.
01:08C. Passard referenced the African proverb,
01:12the child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth,
01:17saying many offenders emerge from environments marked by neglect and the absence of sustained support.
01:23Against the backdrop of the country's ongoing crime crisis and discussion surrounding zones of special operations,
01:31the judge said citizens themselves must become active participants in restoring national safety.
01:37He called on law-abiding citizens to share information with police,
01:42while also taking responsibility for mentoring, guiding and disciplining young people within their own communities.
01:50Justice C. Passard proposed what he termed ZOSUS,
01:54Zones of Support and Safety,
01:56encouraging families and communities to create environments rooted in structure, compassion, accountability and respect.
02:04ZOSUS will require us to ensure that corrective intervention and responsible guidance are routinely engaged
02:15so that our children will be raised with structure, consistency, empathy, accountability and respect.
02:27He also stressed that violence within the home can no longer be ignored or treated as a private matter.
02:34It must be confronted as both a societal and existential threat
02:43because violence within the homes destabilizes families, distorts childhood development
02:54and weakens the social fabric upon which national progress depends.
03:02The high court judge urged citizens to reject what he described as an us-against-them mentality
03:09and instead embrace collective responsibility in addressing social breakdown and crime.
03:15He said meaningful national reform must begin at ground level
03:19with stronger homes, engaged communities and adults leading by example.
03:27You
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