Minority Leader: What's become of department of public safety, security?

WHAT is the status of the proposed department of public safety and security?

THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris posed this question to Chief Secretary Farley Augustine on Thursday as he lamented the latter’s failure to resume discussions with him about Tobago’s worsening crime situation.

Morris and Augustine first met to discuss crime in October 2022, but are yet to have a follow-up meeting.

Tobago's first murder for 2024, on New Year’s Day, was the shooting of dancehall artiste Kareem Small. He was shot while liming with friends near his home.

The island recorded 14 murders in 2023.

At a news conference in Scarborough, Morris recalled his initial meeting with Augustine, which, he said, was convened “to set the foundation for a plan going forward.”

He told reporters, “We met once. I was promised a follow-up meeting. That meeting never happened. I remember him sharing with me a plan about a department of public safety and security – that was in late 2022, in October.

"We are now in January of 2024 and I am yet to see any developments with this.”

Although the THA has been saying it has no responsibility for securing the people of Tobago, Morris said, Augustine “did indicate to me some steps towards the THA taking steps to have internal security.”

He added, “We know national security is the remit of the central government but ultimately the THA is responsible for securing the people of Tobago, and that department of public safety which was shared with me, I found it to have some value, and I am asking the question now to the chief secretary: ‘What has happened to that whole idea of that department of public safety a year later?’”

Morris said Augustine was not a man of his word.

“This is a man that speaks a lot of fancy things. He will sell you dreams, but when you wake up in reality, it is chaos and mayhem. Because here it is, a very good idea – but what about the implementation of the idea?”

Morris said at their first meeting, he also spoke to Augustine about reintroducing comfort patrols and re-engaging some of the security firms that had lost contracts during the pandemic.

“I shared with him that perhaps comfort patrols might be another deterrent, by having them drive and keep that presence in the community. That was another are that was looked at, but nothing has happened.”

Augustine had first mentioned plans to establish a department of public safety and security during the Tobago budget presentation in June 2022.

He spoke about it again during a news conference in November that year.

“We are very close to opening our department of safety and security and we have been engaging with security experts who have been guiding us in terms of structure and how that ought to work,” he said. “Not only are we looking at safety and security in terms of murders and robberies, we are also looking at a wide picture – everything from terrorism to natural disasters and everything in between.”

On that occasion, Augustine said the department of safety and security would advise the THA on security measures.

He added it will also marry those initiatives with social programmes “to help those who have a penchant for criminal activity.”