T&T PM on crime: Doing all we can
(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says the Government is doing all in its power to curb crime.
Addressing yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference in Port of Spain, Dr Rowley said he had heard the cries of the population and acknowledged that criminal activity was on the increase.
He said of the crime situation: “This is nothing new and the responsibility of the Government to do everything possible to minimise and as far as is feasible, eliminate these outcomes remains as is. However, the decision to commit these crimes remain with the individuals who commit them and there is a structure of State, and I simply wanted to assure the national community that the structure of State to respond to the criminal element remain the same, it remains intact and it is on the front burner.”
His comments come hours after four men were shot in Tunapuna, and a day after the country recorded its 298th murder for the year.
The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) and the Chaguanas Chamber have both called on Dr Rowley and his Government to do more to fight criminality, with the Chaguanas Chamber criticising the State's decision to host a TT$9 million international crime conference in Port of Spain.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is also suggesting a meeting with Dr Rowley to discuss the crime problem.
Dr Rowley said: “there are these commentators who are now making certain demands even as we are trying to grapple with the regular occurrences, it is important that the population understand how we are approaching this intractable problem . There is a number of areas of responsibility, the final area of responsibility lies with the Government but in the actual operations of the response to the criminal element there are a number of diffused responsibilities.”
Referring to the National Security Council of which he is head, Dr Rowley said: “The Council is functioning and we are in fact providing all the support that is required for the agencies whose responsibility it is to treat with the violent crime surge in this country.”
The Prime Minister went on to explain how the National Security council works adding that the State was seeking to appoint a substantive Police Commissioner.