Jack: Shut down PoS, Carrera jails

Speaking at a news briefing at his Ministry following, “a very enlightening, very refreshing and congenial” three-hour meeting with heads of the protective services, including Police, Defence Force, Defence Force Reserves, Immigration, Prisons and Fire.

Warner announced that the St James Police Training Academy is to be supplemented by three new branches in South and Central Trinidad and Tobago, to broaden intake of recruits. He said he has asked Chief of Defence Staff Brig Kenrick Maharaj to open two new army bases at Biche and Moruga respectively.

The St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) would also be used during the summer recess to train reserve officers of the Police, Prison and Fire Services. Warner proposed that Firemen and MTS guards will assist police officers on patrols. He proposed patrols in crime hot-spots from 6 pm to 6 am. Calling for the establishment of reserve officers in the Prison Service, he said the Prison Regulations must be amended to that effect.Warner said he has discussed the idea of moving from five-year to ten-year passports but concerns were raised by the Chief Immigration Officer which will be looked at. He said every police officer must act as a community police officer to reduce citizens’ hostility towards them. Warner suggested two ways to tackle the 1,500 shortage of police officers. Firstly, he suggested that if someone does not have the five CXC passes usually needed for entry, they could instead gain access if they have three CXC passes and first serve an apprenticeship as a Special Reserve Police (SRP) officer. Secondly, he will ask Cabinet to lift the retirement age of police officers from 55 to 60 with 55 years as an option. He also proposed to raise the retirement age in the Defence Force from 45 years, which he said is a person’s prime to 50 for the lower ranks and from 55 to 60 for higher ranks.

Warner thanked staff at the Ministry for their “warm welcome” as he arrived yesterday for his first day on the job. He said the Ministry’s office at Temple Court, Abercromby Street, Port-of- Spain, is not fit for its purpose and there are plans to move.

On the much maligned 21st Century Police Initiative, Warner said he would take the good aspects of it but wants all police stations in the initiative to be re-opened 24 hours a day. He said a police station gives residents a sense of security and hope. Warner said it was a paradox to be building nine new stations, while closing existing stations after 6 pm.

He was unfazed by the cost of all his proposed new projects - academies, prisons and army bases - saying he has the biggest budget of all Ministries and would spend wisely. He reiterated that once the “bad aspects” of the much feared Police Flying Squad of the 1970s and 1980s are removed, re-starting such a squad will help in the fight against crime.

“We are going back to basics,” he said. Warner reiterated that firemen will help police on patrols not replace them. Asked if he’d keep the Ministry’s social interventions begun under his predecessor John Sandy such as the National Mentorship Programme, Citizen Security Programme and fatherhood Fair, Warner was non-committal saying he has not yet reviewed the efficacy of these programmes. He said he would only retain programmes that work.