Hinds tells police: 'Mash up dem drug blocks'

MINISTER of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds is calling on the police service to play its role in dismantling “obvious” drug blocks across the country.

Hinds made the call while speaking on Wednesday at the launch of the Case Care Management pilot project at the ministry's Probation Services Division head office, ANSA House, Henry Street, Port of Spain.

The project was developed by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and will run on a trial basis for the next two years.

In delivering the feature address, Hinds said, “The police service has a role to play in the case care Management operation but it has another role.

"There are obvious drug blocks around the country, where every citizen including our toddlers are seeing daily the lines of afflicted human beings going to get their fix and go back.

“I feel it is incumbent on us, notwithstanding the validity of this programme – the usefulness of it, in its full implementation, the value of it – but I think in addition to that, the police service has a role to intervene, to interdict to and to, let me put it in colloquial terms, to 'mash up dem drug block.’ It’s as simple as that.”

Hinds continued, “The government and all leaders in the criminal justice system understand that people in conflict with the law require our help to move forward and try and lead reasonably successful lives. Those with substance abuse disorders require even greater intervention.”

The case care management initiative seeks to enhance co-ordination between the justice, health and social assistance systems as well as other support arms in order to streamline all services geared at assisting those in society who are struggling with substance abuse.