Hinds slams ‘flimsy’ port security

JOINT Select Committee (JSC) chairman Fitzgerald Hinds is deeply concerned over a lack of security at the Port of Spain and Point Lisas ports. Speaking on Thursday at a JSC hearing, Hinds said security measures are so flimsy at the PoS port, that a ten-year-old boy could breach the compound’s defences.

He made the remark while addressing officials from the Customs and Excise Division, the Port Authority of TT (PATT) and the Point Lisas Development Corporation (Plipdeco) in the Parliament Tower. He described security as “frighteningly insecure” at the city port.

Citing his observations during the committee’s site visit last year, Hinds said he is not convinced all was being done to secure ports of entry. He said reports provided by stakeholders are unsatisfactory and believes officials must appear before the committee again to answer additional questions.

“One of the reasons why you will be before us again is because this committee promised the larger parliament and the people that we will stay on top of this matter to ensure measures are in place to protect the citizenry. As it now stands, clearly from this discussion today, it is far from that. For whatever reason the system feels very vulnerable,” Hinds said.

Despite reports from Kathy-Ann Matthews, acting Comptroller of Customs, Hinds said he believes more can be done to enhance security at these facilities. He spoke of a noticeable absence of CCTV cameras at key points along the loading bay. He added the area was only partitioned by an 8 foot tall fence.

Matthews said there are key obstacles to establishing a more secure port such as inadequate security staff and limited resources. Despite this, she sought to assure the committee that all is being done by the Customs and Excise Division to monitor all exchanges and alert the necessary authorities of any illegal activity.

Questions were raised by committee members Nigel De Freitas and Gerald Ramdeen as to the reasons for the slow pace of construction work at the Port of Spain Port to accommodate a scanner. PATT chairman Lyle Alexander said work is in progress and told the committee that 45 employees were already trained in the use of the scanner.