“It is a pity Mauritius is looking more and more like the American Far West!” This comment from a Swiss tourist after a theft in a bungalow in Flic-en-Flac should urge every one of us to react. In view of the hard times that the two main pillars of the economy – sugar and textile are facing, tourism looks like the saviour. But, if we want our small island to keep its special character, which attracts visitors looking for peace and quiet, then security should be one of our top priorities. Leaving aside the fact that all citizens have the right to feel safe.

This is, however, no longer the case in our small country. We don’t feel safe anymore. Whatever the time or the place, in a car or on a motorbike… no one feels safe as from the moment one leaves one’s house or even at home, for that matter. Everywhere looks a potential hot spot now, it seems. The island has become a place where it is unpleasant to live.

How many cases of theft, violence or assault have we reported in our columns over the past weeks? If there is increasing violence throughout the country, this may be a sign that there is a feeling of impunity prevailing amongst criminals. The latter may think they can do whatever they want since they have the feeling that nobody is there to restore order.

Yet, it is only a question of will! Less than one month ago, policemen could be seen in groups of five or six everywhere in the country to deter pickpockets during the festive period. At the beginning of January, while everybody thought they had gone back to their desks, people had a pleasant surprise when they saw them on the street corners, ready to intervene, should a problem arise. This is a sign that the number of policemen is not the cause of this “laissez-faire”. And the result of such a public presence was that there were indeed fewer pickpockets than in previous years. Their presence was enough to drive away the crooks.

However, this “long-term” presence could have been due to the SIDS conference held in Pailles during that period. It was important for Mauritius not to have bad publicity abroad. However this did not prevent crooks from attacking two UN security guards in Port-Louis after the conference. But their arrest was nearly immediate. Two days only to find and arrest these men… A dream that citizens should have the right to see more often…

Hence, we have zealous policemen but only in certain cases. As in Sodnac recently. Some policemen refused to take action after a van driver was attacked by two men on a motorbike. The man was in his van doing his accounts after delivering cartons of juice. He was about to drive off when a black motorbike stopped and two men with a sabre entered the car, took between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 and wounded him in the arm.

People came out to see what was happening and saw some policemen in uniform on their motorcycles and told them what had just happened. “We can’t deal with this case now. We are part of the escort of X (an important personality) and we have to go right now”, was their only answer. Leaving the wounded man and letting the crooks get away! Because the escort had to go…