THA police service coming

THE Tobago House of Assembly (THA) is moving to establish its own security service. A motion to that effect is likely to be laid in the House shortly, according to Leader of Executive Council Business, Hilton Sandy. He made the disclosure at the regular, weekly post-Executive Council Meeting’s press briefing. It came in response to queries over several recent break-ins at THA offices in which computers and other items of office equipment were reportedly stolen. The break-ins, which occurred separately at the Education and Social Services Divisions within a one-week period, are under police investigation.

“Well, I don’t know if it is coincidence but it is obviously something about which I and every member of the Executive Council would be concerned”, THA Chief Secretary Orville London told reporters. “One of the things we are looking at is a dedicated THA security force, and that is something we got to look at very seriously; because I believe that there is need for a special kind of training, a special kind of orientation and so on, if we are to secure our assets”, he stressed. “And I am not just talking about computers etc, but ‘assets’; and therefore that is something that we must look at very, very carefully!” He noted that every time something like that happens, it leads to introspection and “a revisiting of the policies and a revisiting of the activities not just in the particular area but throughout the Assembly. “I think that from an holistic perspective we have to now look at whether we don’t have to change and maybe introduce the THA ‘dedicated’ security services”. He said other THA officials are adamant that such a move should be implemented and some initial work had already been done in that regard.

Sandy reported that the Executive Council has approved the formation of the THA security service. “We have put in the budget already funding for that exercise, and it’s just yesterday (Wednesday) I have been speaking to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Tobago), Mr (Deochand) Gosine, about the assistance in the formation of this service”, he told reporters. “What you may see happening soon, maybe a motion going to the House of Assembly to sort of give the approval, final approval for the formation of this Tobago House of Assembly Police Service”, Sandy added.