Mr Prime Minister, talk done, action now!
Good afternoon.
Like so many of our citizens, I am alarmed by the upsurge in violence in the country, with 52 murders (7 unclassified) recorded in just 30 days – the highest in January of any year. Trinidad and Tobago is in a state of crisis and it is imperative that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley take decisive, effective action to protect and safeguard our citizens.
It was truly disheartening to see media reports including ghastly images and accounts of the murders taking place across Trinidad and Tobago, with a degree of terrifying brutality never experienced before.
From unidentified bodies with head and limbs being severed, to a pensioner – a grandmother, being stabbed to death in her home, to a doubles vendor being cruelly executed in the morning as he prepared to ply his trade, the country seems to have descended into anarchy, where no one is safe, in public nor in the comfort of their homes.
What is even more frightening is the seemingly deliberate lack of interest by Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, and his Cabinet, in addressing this state of chaos.
It is truly appalling that the Prime Minister chose to address the country’s collective pain and desperation via a press release on Saturday, which, instead of seeking to comfort citizens by outlining measures taken to combat this state of terror, merely acknowledged what all already knew—that the crime levels are ‘heinous and traumatic’.
This is insulting and unacceptable to the citizens of our country who have placed their trust in the Government to uphold the Constitution and guarantee them their fundamental right to safety and security.
Such a weak, afterthought of a press release amid one of the most terrifying times in our nation’s history also speaks of leadership that is lacking in humanity and clearly denotes that the Rowley-led PNM administration is not only impotent in the fight against crime, but seemingly lacks any genuine ability or desire to combat it on behalf of the citizens.
The country is in crisis, and I call on the Keith Rowley-led Government to immediately convene an extraordinary session of Parliament to debate the unacceptable crime situation, with the specific aim of informing the public of their immediate plans and strategies, the measures it intends to utilise to ensure an immediate short term reduction of the murder, kidnapping, rape and assault rates.
One of the key issues that needs to be immediately discussed is the overwhelming call by citizens to be to be able to defend themselves against aggressive criminal elements.
Our citizens are under attack. They are defenseless and helpless. Their cries must be heard. The State has failed to protect them and keep them safe.
It is the view of the Opposition that existing legal and administrative systems and procedures need to be streamlined so that the balance can be tipped in favour of law-abiding citizens legitimately acquiring firearms to protect their homes and families. People have a right to be able to defend themselves and their loved ones in the face of the State’s demonstrated inability to guarantee their safety and protection.
In addition to the new regime to allow law-abiding citizens to defend themselves, the time has come for us to also consider allowing women the right to legally carry and use pepper spray and Tasers to defend themselves.
We cannot expect different results if we continue to do things the same way.
Removal of PPG initiatives
The situation we face today is a direct result of the government’s incompetence and mismanagement. How did we get to this point?
It is worth noting that under my government, we methodically responded to violence and made significant progress in reducing serious crime. In fact, serious crime was brought to its lowest level in more than three decades.
We built an integrated national security coordinating apparatus, strengthened the legislative framework, and laid the asset and infrastructure foundations for efficient response by the law enforcement agencies.
The National Operations Centre, which linked all arms of the protective services to address intelligence gathering, real-time monitoring, preventative interventions and crime fighting actions was established under the People’s Partnership. This was reconfigured under the current government, and to a great extent, rendered ineffective.
We established a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) which delivered more efficient response times to our citizens and increased the visibility of law enforcement to create a feeling of security. And we completed nine police stations across Trinidad [Duncan Street, Arima, Piarco, Maloney, Cumuto, Brasso, La Brea, Oropouche, and Moruga].
We established a Counter Human Trafficking Unit and a National Security Training Academy. The latter was subsumed under the controversial Security Services Agency (SSA).
The Community Comfort Patrol, which assisted in visibility and in creating a feeling of safety in communities by acting as a deterrent to criminal activities, was scrapped by the current administration.
Another initiative of the former People’s Partnership government, the Special Operations Group – a specialised group comprising members of the various law enforcement agencies to deal specifically with counter-terrorist operations, was shut down.
These anti-crime initiatives were working, and we had a plan to ensure citizens’ safety and security and reduce crime. It was our intention to reform the justice system and legal framework to deal with backlogs and have the courts work more effectively.
In addition to the foregoing, we took action with regard to implementation of the death penalty. In this regard we brought legislation – The Constitution Amendment (Capital Offences) Bill, known as the hanging bill. You will recall that Keith Rowley and the PNM did not support the Bill, and it was defeated in the House of Representatives in February 2011, with a vote of 29 for/11 against.[1] When the Bill was put forward again in 2015, Dr Rowley wrote to the then Attorney General that the PNM would not support the legislation.[2] Today the Prime Minister is silent, and the AG says his hands are tied[3] – crying crocodile tears over this matter.
You will recall that in early September 2016, the Opposition met with Prime Minister Rowley on crime, where we presented plans which included interventions such as more police on the ground, closure of porous borders, appointment of a police commissioner, implementation of the DNA Act and better use of municipal police officers in the 14 corporations.
During that meeting, the Prime Minister gave an assurance to appoint a Joint Select Committee represented by both sides and chaired by an Independent Senator[4], as “part of the new strategy in the fight against crime”.
To date, nothing has been implemented and assurances have not been kept. We stand by to meet and help the government to deal with the scourge of crime.
Today, we have a Prime Minister who complains about the amount of money spent on the police service, and who has not stated any intention to equip our national security agencies with the tools they need in the fight against crime.
This government is all talk and no action. It appears that the Prime Minister – the Head of the National Security Council – is happy to pass the responsibility and blame onto others, and is bereft of any idea, intention or policy to uphold the Constitutional rights of citizens as is its first and ultimate priority.
PNM Government’s failure to deal with threat of terrorism
Further, on another, yet equally important issue, I note once more the silence of Prime Minister Rowley and all members of his administration, specifically the Foreign Affairs and National Security Ministers, in the face of the damning and destructive branding of Trinidad and Tobago as a “terrorist state” by MSNBC correspondent Malcolm Nance over the weekend.
This in direct response to the controversial order by US President Donald Trump to ban travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days in the wake of reviewed methods to combat terrorism.
Nance was speaking on MSNBC on Saturday during a show hosted by Joy-Ann Reid, where he criticised this move and said that countries like Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and Brazil have more terrorist ties than those countries placed under a recent US travel ban, and asked why they were not included.
It is instructive to note that almost immediately upon these utterances by the MSNBC correspondent, the Bahamas Prime Minister refuted the allegations and ensured a retraction. So far, however, there has been deafening silence from the Rowley–led administration to these allegations, which now have the effect of being taken as truth by the international community.
Incidentally, may I remind you, that only three years ago, while in Opposition, Dr Rowley was not as silent on this issue as he chooses to be now.
In fact, let me remind you of his comments back then when I tackeld the issue of the ISIS threat at the United Nations as Prime Minister.
“Rowley blasts TT support of UN security resolution
Sunday, September 28 2014
Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday lambasted Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for Trinidad and Tobago’s co-sponsorship of a United Nations Security Council resolution on the fight against terrorism saying it was best for TT to have passed up on the occasion.
TT cannot afford to declare war on terrorists “at a time when you can stay away, ” Rowley said.
The resolution, supported by over 90 countries on Wednesday, was put to the UN Security Council by US President Barrack Obama in New York.
Rowley addressed constituents last evening at the People’s National Movement St Ann’s East Constituency annual conference at the San Juan North Secondary School in Bourg Mulatresse on a range of issues.
On the issue of TT supporting the resolution in the fight against terrorism, Rowley said “in any international issue, you put Trinidad and Tobago interest first.”
When people behead someone “little Trinidad and Tobago has to be careful to walk among the gears and don’t get crushed,” he said. He said when the backlash comes from TT’s sponsorship “they (current administration) know they will not be here to take it.”
In his hour-long address, Rowley never addressed the issue of Thursday night’s shootings in Laventille in which three men were killed and two others injured, and a subsequent shooting attack on the Besson Street Police.”
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,200944.html
The fact is that the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is duty bound to ensure that the country’s image as a democratic and peaceful nation is preserved internationally for various reasons, including preserving trade relations and protecting the rights to freedom of movement and freedom from discrimination of all citizens abroad.
Such a statement by the US Correspondent has to potential to curtail these rights for our country and citizens abroad, and I therefore call on Dr Keith Rowley to immediately address the damning allegations to protect our citizens and country’s image.
Against this inertia, if this state of affairs continues, it may well be that Trinidad and Tobago joins the list of unfortunate states whose citizens have been banned from travelling to the United States.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that what is needed now is a leader with the courage to make the tough decisions needed to address the issues facing the country, and Keith Rowley has shown that he is incapable of leading this country.
The Opposition has made multiple attempts to engage the government on the issue of crime, and we remain willing to work with all stakeholders, including the government, in the national interest.
- Extraordinary Parliament Sitting to discuss crime
- New regime for granting firearm licences
- Terrorism – Rowley’s need to speak on this issue
- Reconvene bi-partisan talks on crime
- Hanging Bill
Mr Prime Minister, talk done, action now!
[1] http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-12-21/kamla-wants-bring-back-hangings
[2] http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Opposition-committed-to-death-penalty-289092181.html
[3] https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2017-01-29/ag-admits-hands-are-tied-court-system
[4] http://www.stabroeknews.com/2016/news/regional/09/03/ttgovt-opposition-agree-crime-fight-agenda/