Coast Guard’s vital role against crime

THE EDITOR: It is with a degree of relief that I note that Prime Minister Manning has promised to tackle the issue of security along Trinidad and Tobago’s coastlines very closely. For too long successive administrations have concentrated their resources for crime prevention, and particularly the fight against illegal weapons and drugs, on the Regiment and the Police at the expense of the Coast Guard.

The Regiment and the Police, with all their fancy equipment, new cars and highly paid personnel, can only be effective after illegal immigrants, arms, drugs and other illegal hardware have actually entered the country and been distributed. Detection or knowledge is only gained after the guns etc have already been used. How much more effective would it be if there was an enhanced effort at intercepting the guns, illegal immigrants and drugs before they reach our shores? To do this there needs to be a revised policy on the relative importance of the Coast Guard vis-a-vis the Police and Regiment. An undermanned, under equipped and overworked Coast Guard using “foreign-used” obsolete boats, including ancient refurbished fishing trawlers, and other unsuitable equipment cannot play the role that is so necessary to a successful drive against illegal immigrants, guns and drugs, vital to winning the war against crime.

I myself, as a pastime and hobby, am very involved with the seas around our coast and in the wider Caribbean. Take it from me that the relatively few “foreign-used” craft that our Coast Guard have been outfitted with are no match for the several fast cruisers, foreign pirogues, pleasure boats and other types of craft that cruise our waters with impunity, most of them on legitimate and recreational business, but enough on drug and gun running to create a serious embarrassment to our efforts at security, and danger to our citizens. The few boats we possess have passed their useful age, need excessive maintenance — at cost to the taxpayer — breakdown too often, and are too slow and badly equipped to be any match for the hardware of the smuggler and gun runner. Our boats would find it extremely difficult to mount an effective intercept mission.

Trinidad and Tobago would do well to de-emphasise the role of the Regiment and Police in such operations and re-emphasise the role and importance of the Coast Guard in the preventative aspects of national security. Who knows, if we can effectively keep the arms out we may not even need the Regiment and could train these men as Police - they are more and more being used to supplement the Police Force anyway. Tackling our dilemma by over-emphasis on Police and Regiment is defensive and reactive. To win the battle the need is to assume the offensive and be pro-active in respect of crime and this means more emphasis on our Coast Guard please. New boats, to proper design and adequately equipped (not second hand), competent officers and crew (forget nepotism) of appropriate rank, in the required quantity and with the necessary status and pre-requisites are a must. Let us take back our country from the criminals by stopping the flow of weapons, illegal immigrants and drugs by intercepting them before they reach our shores.

MARK JEFFERSON
Princes Town