Business sceptical about second blimp

THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY yesterday expressed scepticism about whether the new Skyship 600 airship would help law enforcement agencies to deal with crime in Trinidad and Tobago. The new airship was unveiled at the Special Anti-crime Unit of TT’s (SAUTT) Cumuto base yesterday, and will be in TT on a three- month trial basis. SAUTT said Skyship 600 will significantly enhance the surveillance capability of local law enforcement agencies and play a critical role in bolstering the security capabilities of these agencies during the build-up towards Carnival 2006. The SAUTT also indicated that airships like Skyship 600 have served as effective surveillance platforms in first-world nations like the United States and for major events such as the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. Earlier this year, Government acquired another airship for SAUTT at a cost of $26 million.

The San Juan Business Association president, Gail Merhair, described the acquisition of Skyship 600 as “another technological disaster.” Merhair told Newsday that the first blimp and the Skywatch units acquired for the Police Service have had no impact on curbing the levels of crime in TT to date. She particularly noted that the Skywatch unit on Independence Square was unable to play any role in apprehending the person or persons responsible for any of the bombings that occurred in Port-of-Spain this year. Saying that criminals would be more fearful of a visible security presence on the ground than any type of  technology in the sky, Merhair said the money being used to lease Skyship 600 should be used for providing the necessary resources for the police to wage a war against the criminals on the ground.

She called for police officers to be trained in the necessary forensic and investigative skills to improve their crime detection abilities. Merhair agreed with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s view that the level of serious crime in 2005 was “totally unacceptable.” Merhair called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning and National Security Minister Martin Joseph to follow-up on initiatives that were outlined in the 2005/2006 Budget for the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Britain’s Scotland Yard to establish units in TT that would help to improve the crime-fighting skills of local law enforcement agencies.

During an October 25 visit to this country, FBI director Robert Mueller said the FBI would assist the Police Service in improving its capabilities in areas of counter-terrorism and kidnappings. Downtown Owners and Merchants Association president Gregory Aboud said while the population could be forgiven for being “somewhat sceptical” about the new airship, one had to remain hopeful that it would have a positive impact on the crime front. Aboud said lawlessness was wreaking havoc in all sectors of the society and trampling over the hopes and aspirations of the majority of the population. TT Manufacturers Association president Paul Quesnel also expressed his scepticism about Skyship 600 given the track record of the first blimp and the Skywatch units. However, like Aboud, he also expressed cautious optimism that the new airship would serve its stated purpose.