Charles repeats call on Stuart Young to resign forthwith

With a murder rate of 206 in 147 days, Naparima MP Rodney Charles is calling on the Minister of National Security, or rather “Insecurity”, to resign forthwith. If we continue under this incompetent Minister, who is apparently running his Ministry by trial and error and now by remote control from Europe, T&T will be on track for a murderous legacy for 2019 and beyond.

Minister Young continuously proves his complete lack of qualifications, preparedness, leadership, track record, or ideas and it is evident that this job is too much for him.

What is Minister Young doing about the escalating crime rate except talking? Families are losing loved ones daily to heinous crimes; our youths are being entrapped in the cycle of gangs and gun violence. What is the plan going forward? What different steps are being put in place to reduce the crime rate? This is not a crisis for gun talk, bravado and naive phraseology.

A decisive action plan is needed, complete with measurable targets, timelines, interim appraisals, and personnel who will be held accountable for goals.

Since this Minister took office, our murder rate has reached 386 and increasing. For 2019, 175 murders of the 206 were gun related. 7 out of those 175 were children. 27 women murdered in our streets and within the safety of their homes. Not even our elderly are safe. Last week, 2 senior citizens were murdered, bringing the total to 12 elderly murdered for 2019 thus far.

The Minister needs to realize that in order for the murder rate to decrease, there needs to be a more holistic approach, not outsourced reliance on the TTPS. There needs to be an immediate lockdown of our borders. There needs to be an upgrade including accreditation of our Forensic Science Centre. We must reduce overcrowding in the Remand Yard. The DPP needs to function in overdrive. Our education system needs urgent revamping to create a more civic minded, self-reliant and entrepreneurial citizenry. Groups like scouts and cadets, 4 H clubs, sporting organizations, cultural groups, police youth clubs, MILAT, the CCC, and MYPART need urgent funding and revitalization and redirection. You cannot send home workers, increase poverty and at the same time reduce crime.

Since the PNM was elected, our murder toll has reached the unprecedented and unthinkable level of 1676.

Instead of being proactive, PM Rowley is on an all-expenses paid global junket. Why is it that when there are pressing issues in TT, PM Rowley goes MIA? Is the collection of per diems more important than addressing the urgent needs of citizens on the ground and in real time?

One would have thought that Minister Young would have remained to oversee his, not well thought out, asylum arrangement that has incentivized Venezuelans to risk life and limb to beat arbitrarily conceived registration deadlines.

Has he even given thought to stage two of these arrangements?

What happens to Venezuelans born here during the grace period?

Will we send home the parents after the grace period but keep the children since citizens born here are entitled to stay?

We have said it before and it is worth repeating: TT urgently needs a well thought out refugee policy that is humane, recognizes the limits of our absorptive capacity, that is based on international best practices, is not disruptive of our social, cultural and economic well-being and which can overcome varying future scenarios.