Chief Secretary: Tobago budget will address setting up police unit

IN a move aimed at addressing the increase in murders and other violent crimes in Tobago, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has said measures to establish a THA police unit will be contained in the upcoming Tobago budget.

The budget will be presented on June 24 in the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, at 10 am.

Speaking to reporters on June 18 after addressing the launch of an internet broadband service at the Parlatuvier Multipurpose Facility, Augustine said, “The THA police is going to be a feature, because as you can imagine, we have had some challenges with security. And so you will hear about strategies to treat with security, including how we budget for a localised police force.”

He said he was happy the Prime Minister had alluded to setting up a police unit in Tobago during the Conversations with the Prime Minister at the Scarborough Library on May 23, “something to the effect that it may require a simple amendment or change to the existing THA Act.

“So we have to budget for that, because that would mean increase in the payroll, increase on the recurrent expenditure. So we definitely have to budget and prepare for that.”