UNC slams PNM's crime plan as recycled, unrealistic

Many of the elements of Prime Minister Stuart Young’s crime plan already exists, has be proposed by the United National Congress (UNC) or cannot be implemented because the police do not have the tools, says UNC Tabaquite candidate Sean Sobers.

At the UNC general election Mayaro community meeting at the Rio Claro East Secondary School on April 12, Sobers criticised the People’s National Movement (PNM) plans for national security revealed by Young at a PNM public meeting at Signature Hall, Chaguanas on April 10.

Giving examples, he said Young spoke about expanding police undercover operations and having an elite squad within the police service, but undercover operatives were already functioning in TT and there were already several specialised tactical units in the TTPS. He also spoke about creating a joint task force with the TTPS, immigration and customs which was proposed in 2019 but was never implemented.

Sobers said the UNC, under Kamla Persad-Bissessar, would fight crime in a more practical manner by building a new forensic science centre, creating special offences for home invasions, ensuring the country’s CCTV cameras were monitored, members of the protective services would be allowed to take their guns home to protect themselves and more.

He also said the real problem with dealing with domestic violence was in the criminal justice system.

“When orders are obtained by victims of domestic violence, those orders are obtained ex parte which means to say, that the order is obtained from a master or magistrate, it’s given to the domestic violence victim, but the abuser or alleged perpetrator, he’s not a part of the proceedings. And the failure in the system is service of the order.”

He said the UNC was committed to review the system, have consultations and come up with a solution to get the orders served ad provide protection to the victim.

In her address, UNC deputy political leader Jearlean John thanked former Mayaro MP Ruston Paray for his years of service, while Sobers made a derogatory remark aimed at former Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir, both of whom were UNC members.

John said the government made people feel worthless over the past ten years and went on to criticise Young, the PNM for its “vulgar” election campaign and its lack of solutions to various issues.

She said for ten years the government had no solutions for crime, the shortage of forex, unemployment, inequity or anything else but its members were listing initiatives on the political platform.

“After ten years and $5 billion, today you know all the answers?”

She also criticised the opening of the central block of the Port of Spain General Hospital saying it was just a base building with cross on it.

“It will take a UNC government to go in there and fix it. We will open it. We know how to open hospital. The same way we built the children hospital… We build with sense, we build from end to end, we build in the interest of the people and for the people to use.”

UNC candidate for Mayaro Nicholas Morris condemned Young, who is also the Energy Minister, saying he crashed the energy sector and Galeota, and made the people of Mayaro suffer.

He said UNC would restore Galeota, providing jobs for hundreds of residents, build a Mayaro technical institute, transform the agriculture and tourism sectors, and generally restore hope to Mayaro.