Imbert: Cars, guns, boats and drones to fight crime

DESPITE a murder toll that is on track to surpass last year’s figure, the Ministry of National Security will have to make do with $800 million less than last year.

Delivering the 2024/2025 budget presentation on September 30, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said the ministry will be given $6.113 billion.

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

Despite the reduction, Imbert said the government is acutely aware of the challenges posed by crime.

“It affects every single person in our nation. It erodes the sense of security in our homes, our schools, and our workplaces. It impedes the growth of our communities and the potential of our young people.

“We understand that behind every statistic is a person, a family, a community that deserves to feel safe.”

This year’s reduced figure will be used to acquire new body cameras, guns, bulletproof vests, speed guns and cars for the police.

He said the police’s approach for reducing crime will be multifaceted, and driven by a commitment to both immediate and long term solutions.

Imbert said, among other initiatives, there is plan to deliver 2,000 new cars to the police service over the next three years, with 500 vehicles expected in the first phase.

Describing crime as an area of “intransigent difficulty” which continues to resist the government’s best efforts, Imbert noted more than $25 billion has been ploughed into the police service over the last ten years.

Pointing to the number of murders involving the use of illegal firearms Imbert said, “Over the last ten years, the police have extracted 7,683 illegal guns and 153,510 rounds of illegal ammunition from the criminal element. Notwithstanding this, 3,986 persons were killed in the same period with the use of firearms.”

He said the statistics highlight the seriousness of the problem and added the government will “continue to provide all possible available financial resources to the police” in the fight against crime.

Outstanding promises

During last year’s budget presentation Imbert spoke to crime-fighting measures including: increasing the annual intake for recruits from 300 to 1,000; training for police officers in various aspects and technologies; $80 million for new vehicles and equipment for the TTPS and $15 million to establish a Riverine Police Unit at the Carenage Police Station.

As far as Newsday was able to ascertain, these promises never materialised.

On January 12, thousands of men turned out for the TTPS recruitment drive in Port of Spain and Marabella and on May 29, 156 new officers were inducted into the ranks of the police.

Imbert did not directly address the recruitment drive in this budget presentation, instead saying there is a need for increased capacity in the TTPS.

“Building the capacity of our police force is crucial, and the police service plans to focus on specialised training for officers, with ongoing development efforts at the police academy. A new training facility will be established at Cumuto to support both new recruits and the continuous development of serving officers.”

Immigration, Defence Force to receive new assets

Immigration Division, Imbert said, will also begin work on implementing an automated fingerprint identification system which will strengthen border management and improve national security.

“The upgrade aims to facilitate faster and more accurate fingerprint patching, allowing for the real time monitoring of travellers and enhancing response times to potential threats.”

He added the information will be shared with the police as well.

“A key feature of the upgrade will be the establishment of secure automated data exchange protocols between the Immigration Division and law enforcement agencies, creating a centralized database.

“This integration will aid in identifying and intercepting potential illegal entrants before they reach the border, as well as generating alerts for law enforcement when suspicious activities are detected.”

Imbert said while the system will comply with all relevant privacy and security regulations, it will require opposition support to be implemented.

“To work effectively, this automated automated fingerprint identification system will require amendments to legislation with the support of the opposition.”

Imbert said the TT Defence Force (TTDF) will also receive new assets to aid in securing TT’s borders.

The Coast Guard will be given four new patrol launches and eight high speed interceptors, while the Air Guard will get two new search and rescue surveillance fixed wing aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles drones to assist with surveillance and search and rescue.

Cops grateful: We will rise to the challenge

Reacting to Imbert’s comments, DCP Operations Junior Benjamin said he is ecstatic.

“I am extremely grateful and thankful that the government is really making that investment in the police. The reality is that officers put their life on the line and it’s important that we let the officers know we care. So it’s really good to know we have bulletproof vests and vehicles coming.”

Benjamin said he believes the move will motivate officers.

“This is a wonderful sign and I am looking forward to seeing the new spirit that will come to the police as we continue to go out there and face the crime head on.”

Benjamin agreed with the adage to whom much is given, much is expected.

“That’s the reality. It’s about accountability and rising up and understanding that when people invest in you, you have to go out and get the job done. Officers are rising to the challenge and giving a fight to the criminals, and I think this is a wonderful sign to give them that impetus to continue the fight.”