SoE not a solution

PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley says a state of emergency (SoE) is “not a panacea” to solve crime. He made this point during an interview on i95.5 FM on Wednesday.

He observed that this was recently done in Jamaica on a small scale. Rowley attended the Caricom Heads of Government Meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica last week. He recalled that an SoE was called in 2012 under the then People’s Partnership (PP) government.

Rowley said that SoE did not reduce crime. The country is still dealing with the fallout from that decision, he added. Rowley reiterated plans by government to acquire a Cape Class vessel to strengthen the Coast Guard’s border security capability.

Representatives from Australian shipbuilders Austal and Incat are in TT this week for talks with government on the provision of this vessel and fast ferries for the seabridge.

Incat builds passenger ferries, Austal builds passenger ferries and naval vessels. Rowley also said government received a report from Austal about how to bring six of its fast patrol boats back into service for the Coast Guard. Rowley said these vessels were left to rot under the PP.