Business Chamber to THA: Make crime your top priority

THE Tobago Business Chamber is urging the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to make safety and security the island’s top priority.

The chamber’s chairman, Martin George, made the appeal on Tuesday as the association welcomed the THA’s plan to set up a department of safety and security to address crime and criminality.

Tobago has recorded eight murders so far for 2022, most of which have been gun-related.

There have also been a number of shootings recently, including in Signal Hill.

Chief Secretary Farley Augustine announced the initiative during the assembly’s Mandate Monday forum at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex, saying the set-up for its structure is already at an advanced stage. He said it will also deal with terrorism and managing security around Tobago’s tourism industry.

George said the chamber has been calling for a crime-reduction initiative for the longest while.

“There are proposals that we have put forth. We have made suggestions and recommendations, because we have said without safety and security, Tobago has very little to market itself with as a tourist destination,” he said in a WhatsApp voicenote. “No one wants to leave their homes to come to an island where they would be put at risk, or where there is a spiralling murder rate or a prevalence of illegal firearms and persons being shot up.”

Saying there are too many guns in Tobago, George said the island should be policed more effectively.

He reiterated the chamber’s call for tighter screening of vehicles at the Scarborough port, “because that is where you would have most of the illegal items, either guns or drugs, coming in.”

George added, “It is ludicrous that you have a scanner for persons walking onto the boat, but you have no scanner for vehicles driving onto the boat.

“So in other words, you cannot walk onto the boat with a single firearm, but you could probably drive on with a vanload of firearms, because there is no scanner. It absolutely makes no sense that this continues, and as a result you see the spiralling crime rate and of course the increased murder rate in Tobago.”

George said the chamber is willing to stand with the THA in its fight against crime.

“We committed ourselves and pledge our support for any crime-reduction initiative. But we want the assembly to be willing to listen to ideas and to also be able to implement them and take action. We don’t want it to be another talk shop, another publicity stunt or PR exercise to appease or placate the public. We want this to be a meaningful, deep and lasting relationship whereby we work alongside the THA to ensure that effective strategies are implemented in this fight against crime to ensure that Tobago maintains its safety and security as its number-one priority.”

Former Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association president Rene Seepersadsingh also welcomed the department of safety and security.

“I think it is a good initiative. Tobago needs to have a unit that is Tobago-based and managed to deal with issues such as safety and security,” he said. “It is critically important for Tobago and also for the tourism sector, because crime will always be a concern for anybody that’s visiting or travelling.”

With eight murders for the year, Seepersadsingh said crime is a serious concern within the business community.

“We are also seeing an uptick in gun-related activity, which is very unusual for Tobago. In fact, I don’t ever recall it ever happening to this extent. So I think it is good that the THA is taking the initiative to address that before it gets out of hand.”

Seepersadsingh believes the community should be involved in the process

"Once you get the community in Tobago involved, I think it should make a positive difference."