[UPDATED] Duke: I regret not being Chief Secretary

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke says he regrets not becoming Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

Had he been elected to the position, he said, Tobago would not have been grappling with eight murders for 2024.

At a news conference on May 9 at the PDP’s head office in Scarborough, Duke lamented the shooting death of Nikesha Sandy at Jaegars Hall Trace, Plymouth, and extended condolences to her family and friends.

Saying Tobago’s worsening crime situation, particularly murders, required swift and decisive action, Duke called on Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to create the position of secretary of Homeland Security in the THA.

“Let the House of Assembly pass that. Once the House of Assembly passes that, then it is for Tobago,” he said, adding that murders cannot continue unabated.

Duke said, “Sometimes, I regret that I did not take up the Chief Secretary job. I simply regret sometimes because had I been there, none of this would have ever happened. I would have taken the bull by its horns and I would have ensured that there is not one more murder past eight. It is too much. And three females being murdered. I would have gotten to the bottom of this, to the end of this and I would have acted decisively.”

He added he was aggrieved that murders were being committed in broad daylight and that guns were being used.

At present, Duke said, the THA does not have a division for security nor does it have one for legal issues.

“Therefore, I am calling upon the Chief Secretary now, with immediate effect to bring to the House of Assembly an emergency meeting where we must seek to create a division within the THA called secretary for homeland security in Tobago. That must be done within one week.

“Let us discuss it in the Tobago House of Assembly, whether Tobago needs a security department for Tobago. But we cannot be clamouring for more rights when the rights we have, we are not using it.”

The Roxborough/Argyle assemblyman said although security does not fall under the 33 areas of responsibility given to the THA by central government, the assembly’s security issues fall under health and safety.

Duke recalled Caricom, at its last meeting in the Hyatt Regency hotel, Port of Spain, in March, declared that crime was a public health issue.

“And if all of the Caricom nations would have declared that crime in the Caribbean is a public health issue, then Mr Chief Secretary, there is your window, I have given you it for free.

“Crime being a public health issue should be under the THA and, therefore, you should create a secretary to deal with homeland security.”

He said the department must have its own budget and resources.

Duke insisted, though, that no retired police officers should be chosen to be secretary of homeland security.

“Choose someone that has all the qualities required to create the type of safe environment that is required.”

Duke claimed all of the ex-police officers in Tobago were not retained by the national security council.

“And if they were not retained then, why are we taking them up? We want persons with a fresh pair of eyes who understand security, policing but who is not part of the failure of the police service. It is difficult to have someone who is part of the failure to be part of the solution.”

At the briefing, Duke also called for the establishment of neighbourhood watch groups, separate and apart from the community comfort patrols.

“The neighbourhood watch group should be far and wide and consist of persons of different social strata throughout society, different religious backgrounds and ethnicities. But those persons should be tasked with keeping watch over their village or community.”

He said they should be given walkie talkies and the protection of the Police Service.

“So if you mess with these persons in the neighbourhood watch, then you are messing with the police. And that is national police now.”

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke says he regrets not becoming Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

Had he been elected to the position, he said, Tobago would not have been grappling with eight murders for 2024.

At a news conference on May 9 at the PDP’s head office in Scarborough, Duke lamented the shooting death of Nikesha Sandy at Jaegars Hall Trace, Plymouth, and extended condolences to her family and friends.

Saying Tobago’s worsening crime situation, particularly murders, required swift and decisive action, Duke called on Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to create the position of Secretary of Homeland Security in the THA.

“Let the House of Assembly pass that. Once the House of Assembly passes that, then it is for Tobago,” he said, adding that murders cannot continue unabated.

Duke said, “Sometimes, I regret that I did not take up the Chief Secretary job. I simply regret sometimes because had I been there, none of this would have ever happened. I would have taken the bull by its horns and I would have ensured that there is not one more murder past eight. It is too much. And three females being murdered. I would have gotten to the bottom of this, to the end of this and I would have acted decisively.”

He added he was aggrieved that murders were being committed in broad daylight and that guns were being used.

At present, Duke said, the THA does not have a division for security nor does it have one for legal issues.

“Therefore, I am calling upon the Chief Secretary now, with immediate effect to bring to the House of Assembly an emergency meeting where we must seek to create a division within the THA called Secretary for Homeland Security in Tobago. That must be done within one week.”