National Security Minister: I protect my children from criminals

NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Martin Joseph yesterday revealed that he personally protects his children from falling prey to criminals and if all parents in Trinidad and Tobago do this, they would greatly help the authorities to win the war against crime in TT. Addressing the PNM Laventille East/ Morvant’s 2005 constituency conference at the Russell Latapy High School, Joseph also said Government is taking steps to eradicate an emerging heroin trade in TT. Slamming parents who shirk their responsibilities to ensure their children’s safety and security, Joseph said he has four children (three teenagers and a three-month-old baby) and he has curbed the activities of the teenagers because of the current crime situation.

The minister said it was a “cop out” for some parents to say they have no control over their children or set bad examples for their children, thereby encouraging them to get involved with questionable persons and fall into a life of crime.  Joseph said this was why he was heartened by FBI Director Robert Mueller’s statement that TT’s crime problem would eventually be brought under control through the combined efforts of the Police Service and the citizenry. “Our society is at war and we are not going to win by pointing fingers,” Joseph declared. He said the Police Service will not be scrapped despite the corruption allegations made against some of its members and Government is making every effort to reform the service for better efficiency and effectiveness.

Noting that little attention was paid to cocaine when it first surfaced in TT many years ago, Joseph said there are now signs of increasing trans-shipments of heroin through this country and some heroin is remaining in TT. Revealing that a drug-laden vessel recently outran the Coast Guard’s flagship TTS Nelson and was captured by a French naval ship, Joseph said this was why Government was acquiring security assets such as three offshore patrol vessels to protect TT against the activities of transnational drug and arms traffickers.  Joseph added that drug traffickers are increasingly targeting the southern Caribbean because of successful interdiction exercises in Jamaica, Mexico, Colombia and Afghanistan. Joseph added that US Southern Military Command estimates that 1,000 tonnes of cocaine flow through the region on an annual basis.