Scotland upbeat: National security is a budget priority

On the eve of the national budget presentation, Minister in the Ministry of National Security Keith Scotland said he expects his ministry to be given the resources to tackle crime.

In a telephone interview on September 29, Newsday asked Scotland about his expectations on the budget.

"Crime is the main priority! You, wait and see; you will hear certain positive, positive things happening."

Newsday asked Scotland if he could get more specific in his expectations, he said, "I really wouldn't wish to let anything out of the bag at this stage. The budget is less than 24 hours away."

The country's murder rate is currently above 470 and it is one statistic that may weigh heavily on the Finance Minister’s mind when he lays out how much money will be spent on national security, in his 2024/2025 budget.

In his budget presentation last year, Colm Imbert said he was disturbed by the untenable level of murders in TT before announcing his allocation of $6.912 billion to national security.

At that time, he said the country’s total revenue was $54.012 billion. Total expenditure was $59.209 billion and the fiscal deficit stood at $5.197 billion.

Education and training got the largest chunk of the pie, with $8.022 billion. The health sector got $7.409 billion, followed by national security.

On September 25, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said that as government had failed and continues to fail in dealing with the country's worsening crime situation, it was time for the Prime Minister to take responsibility by taking on the national security ministerial portfolio.

Her call came as she issued a statement in response to a shooting incident outside a Malick, Barataria preschool on September 25 which left two men dead and three others, including a four-year-old boy, nursing gunshot injuries.

She condemned the act of violence and called on Dr Rowley to take action by removing Fitzgerald Hinds as National Security Minister and take up that portfolio himself.

During the walkabout of Port of Spain on September 25 Scotland said, "It seems that certain elements are not resting. That is why we cannot rest. Minister Hinds works every day. The PM works every day, because they (criminals) are not resting," Scotland said.

Scotland said a plan was in place to deal with crime but he did not elaborate on this plan.

Scotland willing to meet NPTA

Scotland also responded to the National Parent-Teacher Association (NPTA) president Walter Stewart, who called for an urgent meeting to discuss the crime situation in Belmont and parts of East Port of Spain.

Scotland said he will try to meet with the NPTA this week.

"I will make contact with them on Monday (September 30) to see what day will be mutually convenient.

"Even though I will be preparing for the budget debate, I will make that a priority."

Stewart made the call for the meeting a day after police flushed out two suspects from a drain opposite the St Francois Girls’ College, Belmont. One was apprehended and taken into custody but the other was reportedly killed in a shootout with police.

The men had reportedly shot two people in Belmont earlier and were caught while fleeing.

Stewart said, “I want to make an appeal, because we have asked before, to meet with the Minister of National Security. So now we are making the appeal to the minister in the ministry, Scotland, to meet with us, because especially in the Belmont and East Port of Spain area in particular, there have been a plethora of issues taking place with regard to crime and criminal activity.

“We want to be able to have the TTPS address these issues by us sitting down with them and offering to them some recommendations and suggestions as to how we can mitigate, not only the crime and criminality, but also the school indiscipline as well taking place in some of our schools.”

Stewart said the NPTA was very concerned about the violence that erupted outside the school.