Panday: Let’s unite against crime

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday warned that Trinidad and Tobago is “fast becoming the kidnapping centre of the world” and called for the entire society to unite in the war against crime. According to a newspaper report, international consulting group Kroll Associates listed TT second behind Colombia in terms of kidnapping per 1,000 persons for 2002. Venezuela and Mexico are listed third and fourth respectively in the poll while in terms of region, Latin America tops the list with 941 kidnappings in 2002 while North America and the Caribbean are in cellar position with only 19 kidnappings for the same period.

Panday told Newsday yesterday that he knew kidnapping was high in TT but had no idea that it had reached such high proportions. “That is bad news,” he stated grimly. Expressing concern that runaway crime would harm TT’s international reputation and investment prospects, the UNC leader declared: “Let us (Government and Opposition) unite the society if we are to fight crime.” Asked if he felt the results of this poll would spur the Government to move faster on its anti-crime initiatives, Panday replied: “I think the Government is incapable of moving faster.” The UNC leader said the only direction which the ruling PNM is moving where crime is concerned is “backwards.” The Opposition has been openly critical of several of Government’s anti-crime initiatives in the 2003/2004 Budget, especially the proposed Special Crime Unit headed by Brigadier Peter Joseph and has claimed there was no legal mechanism through which the unit could be established. Prime Minister Patrick Manning said the unit can be created under laws governing the Special Reserve Police Services and the Joint Operational Command Centre.

National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee said the Police Service’s top brass are fully supportive of the unit which will have anti-terrorist capabilities and draw upon intelligence resources from all branches of the armed forces, including the police. Manning in turn has condemned the UNC for refusing to support passage of the Police Reform Bills in Parliament. Prior to the 2000 general elections, the then UNC government and PNM opposition agreed to pass the bills regardless of whoever won those polls. The UNC reneged on that agreement after winning the 2000 elections and has since been using constitutional reform as a pre-condition for its support in passing the Bills in Parliament. UNC MPs Gerald Yetming and Winston Dookeran have openly criticised the Opposition’s non-cooperation strategy as non-productive for both the party and the country as a whole.