Griffith: A safe Tobago is better for Trinidad

FORMER commissioner of police and National Transformation Alliance leader Gary Griffith said he intends to speak to Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to discuss security plans for the island. In an interview with Tobago Updates on Tuesday, Griffith said a safer Tobago augurs well for Trinidad's security apparatus.

Tobago, a renowned tourist destination, has had its serenity interrupted by gunshots and gang violence in the recent past. On New Year's Day, dancehall artiste Kareem Small, 27, was gunned down while liming in Patience Hill. Last year, there were 14 murders in Tobago.

"I think Tobago can be much safer than it is right now," Griffith said. "A safer Tobago means a safer Trinidad. If crime starts to increase, you have to extract resources from Trinidad to take to Tobago, that will now cause crime to increase in Trinidad."

Griffith said there are many things he had in place or planned to implement, that would immediately address the surge in gun violence on the island.

"We had an operations command centre monitoring Tobago, looking at all the cameras 24/7; putting a (local) 999 (emergency call system); undercover police on the beaches; a special-operation response team, a highly tactical unit that went after the gangs that decided to migrate to Tobago; putting proper (scanning) systems at the port... Every vehicle enters Tobago and it is not checked – that will minimise the drugs and weapons entering Tobago."

He said what is required is to "put aside our political hats, do what is right for Tobago, so at least we can secure Tobago."

He recalled in his time as commissioner and minister of national security, copying many crime-fighting initiatives from former prime minister Patrick Manning. "I don't care if it was a PNM idea....That is the type of political maturity that is needed."

He said he does not believe the Prime Minister has the "political common sense" to "put away our party cards and do what is right for the country. Embrace those persons outside of his government." He said if a collaborative plan did not work, Rowley could then say that opposition stakeholders also did not have the answers. If it did work, he said Rowley could then boast of his political maturity.

Griffith also addressed CoP Erla Christopher-Harewood's appeal on Sunday for God's help in the fight against crime. He said this has become the norm.

"We have had many CoP over the last few decades; because they're not tactical – Stephen Williams was very good at it; because they're not strategic; they're' not operational, Erla Christopher realise this is what they did so (she said) I have to go in the same manner.

"When you don't have the tactic to fight crime and peg back criminals, that rapid response to put fear into criminals – you blame society, community, teachers, and then say we need God on our side. It is because of the inability – they do not have a clue, so we automatically say we need prayers, divine intervention.

"What they seem to forget is God helps those who help themselves."