Griffith slams publicising US radar system in Tobago

FORMER police commissioner Gary Griffith has warned that public statements about the US military radar in Tobago’s link to the drug bust in the Caroni Swamp on December 11 are undermining it’s effectiveness.

These public statements he said are “a sign of desperation” and added that the effort to justify the radar is now affecting national security – something that is completely unnecessary.

“If we continue down this road, the radar will lose its strategic advantage long before it delivers its full operational value. That would be a disservice to the public, to national security, and to the very institutions tasked with protecting this nation,” Griffith said.

Griffith took to Facebook on December 12, saying he has long supported the installation of the radar system in Tobago, which he added has “tremendous value” for national defense and safety and security.

“However, the value of this sensitive equipment is now being undermined, not by critics, but by the growing tendency of some to oversell, over explain, or publicly justify its installation,” he said.

“The attempt to silence detractors has begun to overshadow the real objective, which is to quietly enhance national security, not politicise it.”

Griffith is also a former national security minister and previously served as a captain with the TT Defence Force.

He charged that the problem first arose with what he called the deeply irresponsible statement made by Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander, who claimed the radar would be instrumental in solving a current kidnapping case.

“Such a comment signals a lack of understanding of the sensitivity inherent in these types of crimes,” Griffith said.

“More troubling, it effectively alerts criminal elements to the state’s capabilities. It is unclear why anyone would telegraph to offenders the specific tools available to law enforcement, except for the minister’s apparent desire to justify the radar at any cost.”

Griffith also slammed the current Police Commissioner, Allister Guevarro, who, via a media release, credited the radar for helping with the seizure of a “creepy marijuana” haul valued at $171 million in the Caroni Swamp and helping to target criminal elements.

“The statement read more like a marketing testimonial than a communication from the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. I cannot recall any precedent where law enforcement thanks a piece of equipment,” Griffith said.

“This is not a trivial misstep. Publicly disclosing what the radar can detect and how it is being used has now alerted criminal networks across the region. In trying to prove a point, key decision-makers have inadvertently compromised the very tactical advantage the radar was meant to provide.”

He questioned whether every time the state delivers new equipment or technology, the police would issue a public release to “thank and commend” the device.

“And in a highly charged environment where the radar installation is already the subject of intense national debate, why would the police service voluntarily insert itself into the controversy?” Griffith questioned.

“It creates the perception, fair or unfair, that the TTPS is functioning as an extension of the ministry’s public relations machinery, or worse, that the statement was drafted externally and merely carried by the Police Service.”

Griffith stressed that law enforcement must always maintain the appearance and reality of institutional independence.

He highlighted that the credibility of the police service is not strengthened when it appears aligned with political messaging.

He added, “Sensitive national-security assets must be protected from unnecessary exposure, not paraded for public justification.”

Dr Amery Browne, the former Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister, also shared his thoughts via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on December 12.

“Radars don't see through mountains. Hence, maritime radars are mounted on the highest points, but air surveillance radars can be used from low areas. No way any G/ATOR in Crown Point sent radio waves through the northern and central ranges to detect a dinghy in the Caroni swamp.”