PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has sought to reassure the nation that the Government is doing its best to combat crime and has called on citizens to do their part.
The call follows a spate of violent crimes in recent times, including a quadruple murder in St Augustine, the kidnapping of an El Socorro businesswoman, and the killings of a pregnant woman and teenager in Arima.
There have been calls for the Government to address the surge in crime.
In a statement on Saturday, the prime minister said the National Security Council meets fairly regularly, takes certain decisions, and has certain operations in place.
He said demands are being made on the Police and the broader Security Services, and the national security services are being constantly resourced to keep them available and effective.
Dr Rowley added the arrogance of the criminals is rooted in a belief that they will not be apprehended, and even if apprehended, they have nothing to fear from the judicial system.
“We plan and execute strategies to prevent these truths from prevailing and that they are wrong on both counts,” he said, adding that the results are not satisfactory based on statistics.
Despite the alarming numbers, Rowley said the country focuses on getting better results at every turn.
He noted only recently, the Government approved the addition, at request, in emergency mode, of 50 new vehicles to the patrol fleet of the Police and the Defence Force.
The prime minister further called on citizens to provide information to the police on criminal activity.
“We are continuously detecting and managing the millions of rounds of ammunition and the thousands of firearms circulating within the country. To this end, we appeal to the public to assist in this fight to eliminate these frequent outrages and gun crimes, in general, by providing as much information as you can so that the security service personnel can get ahead of the criminals before they callously add to the death and destruction that a handful of citizens wreak upon the vast majority of the population.”
“If you know something, undertake to say something. The protective services will continue to go after the weapons and their handlers. Still, their jobs can be greatly enhanced by increased information streams from the sphere of public spiritedness,” he continued.
The prime minister ended by saying that the best holiday gift that can be afforded to any potential shooter is to keep secret the existence of their deadly tools and the intention to use them.
He noted the Government’s commitment to continue its efforts to fight crime.
“The protection of society is a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week exercise, which will remain the duty and focus of the state as we continue to confront all those who choose violent crime as their contribution to the nation’s challenges.”
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