South Chamber pleased with drop in serious crime

AFTER nearly one month in operation, the new anti-crime initiative has developed a beachhead for further assaults against criminal elements. However, the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce believes more sustained efforts on the part of all stakeholders are needed if the war against crime is to be won. On July 23, National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee and Ag Police Commissioner Everald Snaggs announced the initiative in response to a spate of kidnappings occurring around that time.

Aspects of that initiative included the deployment of 1,000 additional police officers on the streets of Trinidad and Tobago, establishment of a National Crime Commission and the purchase of mobile police units. The initiative followed two days of talks at Whitehall between leaders of the business community and Prime Minister Patrick Manning, with the former clamouring for “results.” Addressing a post-PNM General Council news conference on Sunday, Chin Lee expressed a “measure of satisfaction” over the results of the initiative so far, especially with regards to kidnapping. Chamber president Wayne Moze told Newsday yesterday that over the last month there has been “a marked decrease” in terms of kidnapping and serious crime. “What we are seeing is a lull in the storm,” he said.

However, Moze was not satisfied that the root problems of crime were being addressed. “The real issues are societal,” the Chamber president stressed.  He said there was no need for 1,000 additional police officers on the streets because TT “already has more police officers per population” compared to other countries. Moze reiterated that the emphasis must be on “more intelligent policing.” In the context of the upcoming 2003-2004 Budget, Moze said the Chamber would like to see “very focused extra spending” on national security.  He added that these areas of expenditure should include areas such as law enforcement, adult education, prison reform and unemployment. Moze was, however, not optimistic of parliamentary cooperation between Government and the Opposition on crime, lamenting that his calls to both sides over the last two years has seemingly fallen on deaf ears.