And the rest of the sentence goes: “……we need to make another speech and call another press conference. And then there are those talk shows and TV appearances we have to do. And it really isn’t our fault. The politicians need to change the Laws. And it isn’t our fault at all because government has no control over police operational matters. And, all this takes time.”

Father Time waits for no one. He passes by and nothing can stop Him. In the meantime our gangs laugh, parade themselves as heroes on their Facebook pages and wait in bushes to ambush another member of a rival gang so they can shoot him to death. The perpetrators have no basic arms training but they have guns and that means power.

“If I have to shoot him five or six times it doesn’t matter. It’s target practice and I will get better next time.”

Time.

In the UK to comply with their liquor licensing laws, when it reached the hour for closing time, the landlord would ring a bell and shout, “Time, gentlemen (and ladies), please.” That meant it was the end of time. Time stopped for you to drink, even if you had an unfinished glass in your hand, and you had to immediately leave. The term, “Time out” means stop.

“A week of Hell” was iNews’ front-page headline on Wed (21) edition. Sadly, it had to appear with our self-praise gold badge trumpeting our 100th edition. Faces appeared inset over the latest crime scene. Four of these faces were tagged with the word ‘MURDERED!’ and a fifth ‘CRITICAL!’

The word “may” was used a number of times at the press conference given by Governor Duncan Taylor and Commissioner David Baines last Monday (19) where a ‘gang curfew may be used’ (but probably not). The word ‘time’ was also used. At another press conference one of our reporters asked a senior policeman there whether outside help was going to be asked for and was told “we haven’t reached that time.”

Haven’t we reached the end of ‘time’? Can’t we change ‘may’ to ‘WILL’? We want ACTION now. Not “MAYbe later when TIME permits us to get our act together.” This is even more reinforced when, in the premier’s speech on Radio Cayman last Monday (9), he said, “I have had many concerns, concerns which I have made known to all of the commissioners of police, including the current commissioner. I have voiced the importance of forcefully addressing the severity of this issue from long before my inception to office in 2009 and in these years leading up to the senseless executions which we are witnessing today.” That seems a long TIME ago now.

If one beats the drum long enough MAYbe someone will hear. I have heard many of Mr. Bush’s concerns but the drum on this one did not beat loud enough for me to hear. Nor did it, or so it seems, reach the ears of all of the police commissioners.

When I drove through Harbour Drive yesterday morning (21) and watched the cruise ship passengers embarking I saw no police presence at all. Not even a police car. The drum that we, the public, have been banging quite loud in the media is for visible police presence on the streets in the tourists area. This hasn’t penetrated the right ears as yet. Perhaps we should send up smoke signals….. from the smoking guns being used on our streets? When can we call TIME and get help from specialised, trained units that are available to deal with the situation we are in? When do we reach the required number of shootings and deaths that bloody our streets and reputation in order to ask for this help? What is the number needed? The gangs, I am sure, will help to provide whatever is the required figure.

How much more TIME do we need to order and pass legislation so the RCIPS can do their job? With all due respect, H.E. Governor Taylor, and I am changing my plea from ‘I’ to ‘We’: “We, the country, cannot wait anymore. There is no time left. We need action NOW. PLEASE provide it. This was once a peace loving country where everyone felt safe. We want these murderous swine locked away and (quite frankly) we don’t care how you do it. GET THE JOB DONE. PLEASE!!!”