Manning’s mud volcano

Yet Mr Manning almost in the next breath demonstrated that his admission was hollow rhetoric. He spoke for barely ten minutes on crime measures, and one-third of that time was used to list measures that the Government had already taken. Those measures included "an aerial surveillance system" (better known as a blimp), the sky watch units, the radar system, and helicopters and boats. The fact that none of these measures has resulted in any drop in any type of crime caused Mr Manning not a blush.

The upcoming measures he listed were the addition of 140 vehicles to the police fleet, and work to refurbish five old police stations and build six new ones. The Police Complaints Division (PCD) is being strengthened, a prisoner rehabilitation unit will soon began work, and the military will be overseeing programmes aimed at 600 young persons, while another 500 will be taken into a community action programme. Mr Manning also announced that officers from Scotland Yard and the FBI will be imported to improve the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

The Prime Minister, however, gave no significant details on any of these programmes, and such details now form the main questions on people’s minds. What, for example, are the specific measures being taken to strengthen the PCD? Citizens have noted the total inaction by Police Commissioner Trevor Paul against errant officers. Why have the three officers who beat up and falsely arrested 18-year-old Devon Sookdeo not been brought to book?

What is the status of the investigation into the killing of 20-year-old Kenneth Hamilton by police officers in August? What about Corporal Ricardo Guerra, who was fatally shot by his colleague Corporal Sheldon Narine at a police station? Commissioner Paul promised that report in two weeks’ time, six weeks ago.

Obviously, there are many cogent reasons to give the PCD teeth. Yet Mr Manning would not deign to give the public any details on this important project. In similar fashion, citizens are no wiser about these new youth projects to be overseen by the military. Where are these youths going to be drawn from? What is the central purpose of this initiative? Will the programme be run under military regulations and, if so, what safeguards for the youths will be put in place?

But what the public is surely most curious about is the role of the Scotland Yard and the FBI officers. What exactly will they be doing and how will their actions help reduce murders, kidnappings, and other crimes? A report in Thursday’s Newsday made it clear that local police officers are already up in arms over reports that the foreign officers will be working with the Special Anti-Crime Unit (SAUTT), since they see this as confirmation of a parallel police force. Is this the case? Is this the Government’s method of bypassing corrupt police officers? And, if the foreign officers are indeed working only with SAUTT, how will their expertise help ordinary police officers to be more efficient?

These questions are only the tip of the mud volcano that the Manning administration has stirred with its Budget announcements. We hope that at least some answers will be coming in short order.