MP Charles slams Hinds, PM and Young on worsening murder rate

AS TT's murder rate has gone into overdrive at the turn of 2022, government ministers, particularly National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, has shown an inability to get the situation under control, says MP for Naparima Rodney Charles.

Charles strongly rebuked Hinds, Prime Minister Dr Rowley and former security minister Stuart Young, for the escalating murder rate which he said, could surpass last year's figures by almost 150.

"Where is clueless Fitzgerald Hinds in all of this? Where is Ethelbert when the EU describes us as a tax haven for criminals," Charles asked as he spoke at the UNC's weekly Virtual Report on Monday.

"Where is Fitzgerald when Australia, Canada, the US and the UK tell their citizens in various travel advisories and in all forms and fashion not to visit Trinidad and Tobago?"

"Where is Amery Brown when the whole world listens to and reads in their media that our coast guard shot and killed a migrant baby?

Charles said he heard on Venezuelan media about the incident in which the mother of the baby who was shot and killed by the Coast Guard, was taken to the police station and charged before she could recover after also being shot.**

"Millions of Venezuelans are hearing about this cruelty," Charles said. "Could they not have waited until the lady had recovered and then charged her? Where is our humanity?"

Charles accused Hinds of being unaware of the roles and functions of a government minister, and offered to "educate" him.

"Fitzgerald Hinds doesn't know that his job is to provide for our security."

He cited article 85 (1) of TT's constitution, which states: "Where any minister has been assigned responsibility for any department of government, he shall exercise general direction and control over that department; and, subject to such direction and control, the department shall be under the supervision of a Permanent Secretary whose office shall be a public office."

"Minister Hinds," Charles said, "you cannot abdicate your responsibility for safety and security."

He referred to Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young as the "second recuser in chief" in the Cabinet and "abdicator extraordinaire from ministerial responsibilities.

"Stuart Young, accompanying the Prime Minister on a wasteful freeness in Qatar, smiles cause he's no longer Minister of National Security. He laughing," Charles charged.

"He's now free to preside over the complete destruction of our energy sector. Truth be told, Rowley and his team in Qatar are on a rest and relax mission."

Charles then trained his guns on the Prime Minister, suggesting government's inability to hire a Commissioner of Police was a major contributing factor to the escalating crime.

"Where is our badjohn Prime Minister? They (ministers) like the title 'honourable'. They like the fat salary; they like perks; they like the per diems, but they shirk the critical responsibilities which come with the office of being a minister.

"It is the government's job to appoint a Commissioner of Police...and we have been without one since August. We are left to ask, is the police service an independent body? We need to know.'

Charles said the leadership again failed the country last week during the island wide blackout. "Where were the 7,000 (regular) police officers whose salaries we pay?

"Where were the backup generators to ensure traffic lights functioned in the absence of electricity?"

There is no shortage of personnel in the protective services, Charles said, with the estimated 7,000 regular officers, 3,000 special reserve officers and 5,000 army officers.

"So over 15,000 officers available to Hinds and he cannot dominate the streets to put the fear of God in the hearts of criminals."

In comparison, Charles referred to Toronto, Canada, which has a population of about 2.9 million and a police force of about 5,500 police officers.

"With 5,500 officers in Toronto, last year there were only 84 homicides... We are heading for 590 with three times the number of officers, with half the population of Toronto. What a shame," he said.

**Editor's Note: Up to Tuesday, the shot Venezuelan boy's mother had not been charged with anything.