Charles: Murders worsened each month in past year

NAPARIMA MP Rodney Charles claimed the Government was clueless against a surge in crime, as he cited figures to show murders had increased in recent times compared to the same month a year prior. He was moving a private motion to reprimand the Government, in the House of Representatives on Friday.

Referencing the Prime Minister's recent Cabinet reshuffle, he lamented that Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds was still in his post and advised new Attorney General Reginald Armour to state measurable amounts by how various crimes would be reduced with each new law brought to Parliament. He cited news reports for March of various robberies, choppings and shootings. Charles claimed crime including murder had risen in recent months under Hinds' tenure.

These rose from 33 murders in July 2020 to 37 in July 2021; 22 in August 2020 to 35 in August 2021; 23 in September 2020 to 38 in September 2021; 33 in October 2020 to 58 in October 2021; 24 in November 2020 to 69 in November 2021; 27 in December 2020 to 34 in December 2021; 25 in January 2021 to 52 in January 2022; and 27 in February 2021 to 36 in February 2022. Comparing April 2020 to February 2021, to the same period a year before, Charles lamented a 50 per cent hike in murders, a 94 per cent rise in fraud, a 47 per cent increase in woundings/shootings, a 56 per cent increase in kidnappings and a 41 per cent increase in murder of the elderly.

"At least 97 larcenies of a dwelling house, 1,072 burglaries and break-ins, 20 business places were robbed," he hit. "Last month, a gang of 11 split up and robbed 4 businesses alone in San Juan."

On the recent escape and recapture of five prison inmates, Charles said despite $42 billion spent on national security, the Golden Grove Prison dormitories were dilapidated. He quoted Prison Officers Association head Ceron Richards lamenting more money spent on prisoner transport than on upgrading security. In this, Charles alluded to "friends and financiers" of the Government.

He said Trinidad and Tobago's prisons were overpopulated, at 276 prisoners per 100,000 of population, a ranking worse than 185 other countries. He claimed the Government did not have the vision to revamp programmes to reduce TT's recidivism rate and the rate of those on a treadmill from school to prison.

Charles said TT remains a transshipment point for drugs and guns.

"Two large caches of ammunition were seized from the same warehouse in Couva within the past year. How many persons were held in connection with the find?" he challenged.

"How many persons were convicted for the shipment of guns, police sirens, police blue lights and a bullet-proof vest, intercepted at the Custom bond at Piarco in April last year?"

He contrasted TT's 1.4 million population having 10,000 police officers, with Toronto, Canada's three million population having just 5,500 police.

He lamented slow response times, non-functioning police vehicles, and police station diaries that were lost or were missing pages, among police in TT.

Charles urged funding for youth interventions.

"Do not claim that police youth clubs are being used to guide our youth away from being wrongly influenced and then give them a total budget of a measly $2 million for nine police divisions - 77 police stations - when the SSA (Strategic Services Agency) receives $287 million.

"Why not reduce the 2022 SSA’s $287 million budget by 30 per cent to $200 million and use that extra $87 million to fund programmes for at-risk youth?

"That $87 million can supplement the TTPS Youth Clubs, CCC, Milat, MyPart, 4-H Clubs, National Mentorship Programme under the Ministry of Sport, Youth Apprenticeship Programme in Agriculture, and others."