Stuart Young, Fitzgerald Hinds report on human trafficking, pepper spray

MINISTER in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said the 2022 US Trafficking in Persons Report will not be laid in the Parliament.

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said the police service have received 42 requests from the public for access to pepper spray as a non-lethal means of self-defense against criminals.

They made these respective comments in response to questions during a sitting of the House of Represenatives on Friday.

Young explained that the 2022 US Trafficking in Persons Report is a diplomatic mechanism used by the United States government "to engage foreign governments on the issue of human trafficking."

The report is issued annually by the US State Department

Young said, "Reports on human trafficking in persons for all countries to the year 2022, are readily available on the US Department of State's website."

For this reason, he added, "There is absolutely no requirement for any such report from a foreign government to be laid in our Parliament and as such, that report will not be laid in our Parliament."

Young said the report was dated July 19, 2022.

In that report, the US State Department urged Government to investigate fully and transparently any official suspected of complicity in human trafficking, and to seek conviction and sufficiently stringent punishment of any official found to be complicit.,

The report did not identify any specific individuals.

In March, Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher said investigations would be conducted into statements made about public officials in the report.

The Prime Minister said Government had investigated the claim and found it referring to members of the Opposition.

Former People's Partnership (PP) government minister Devant Maharaj submitted a report on what he claimed to know about allegations of human trafficking under the PP between May 24, 2010 and September 7, 2015.

To date, no one has been arrested or charged with any crime in relation to this matter.

Later in the sitting, Hinds said the licensed importation and use of pepper spray by the public, is being implemented on a phased basis by the police in collaboration with the Customs and Excise Division and the TT Bureau of Standards (TTBS).

The first phase of this process was launched by the police last December.

Hinds said this included "the issue of pepper spray import permits."

Nine such permits have been granted to date.

He said out of those nine, "Two importers have already imported pepper spray cannisters into the country."

The cannisters are currently awaiting clearance in line with protocols of the TTBS.

Hinds said the police had "also rolled out the subsequent phase of the process."

This phase, he continued, allows citizens "to apply for, keep and carry permits for pepper spray via the TTPS' (TT Police Service) website."

Hinds said to date, the police have received 42 applications from the public for pepper spray permits.

He added, "These are currently being processed by the firearms permit unit."

The police are holding talks with stakeholder about the issuance of manufacture permits for pepper spray.

Hinds said this will be "the final phase of the licensing process to be rolled out."