SANDY: MORE COPS TO HIT THE ROADS
By NALINEE SEELAL and CAROL MATROO Sunday, May 30 2010
As early as next week, hundreds of police officers assigned desk duties in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service could be reassigned foot and mobile patrols to ensure a higher visibility throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
Yesterday new National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy said that his first priority will be
to see a greater presence of police officers on the streets and in all communities. Sandy said that although he is aware of the manpower shortage in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, every effort will be made to find the manpower resources so that
police officers will be out on the streets to interact with members of the public, maintain a presence and reclaim the country from the hands of criminal elements.
He said that while fighting crime is the number one priority, he also believes that it
must start in the primary school system and therefore he is embarking on a programme where Defence Force officers will be required to go into schools to interact with schoolchildren, hold sports meetings, family days and other activities to nurture the young minds who will be the future of this country.
“Crime is not only fighting offences and felonies. We have to start with the youngsters. We need to approach it from a multi-pronged attack or assault on crime. It requires us not only having police officers on the streets, but it requires us being in the schools as well in uniform. It has an effect on the youngsters because at present we are competing with guys on the block with five chains and so on. We need to get real role models out there for them.
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We want the young ones to emulate persons in uniform rather than look to the gangsters who pose with their five thick gold chains, gold teeth, fancy brand clothing, and instead learn to respect elders and set goals by working hard.”
Apart from this, Sandy is also contemplating
utilising the 6,000 plus Estate Police officers and security guards throughout the country, to assist in the fight against crime.
“I want them to be the eyes and ears and assist their brother police officers to reclaim this country from the hands of the lawless, and
I am asking every God-fearing citizen to assist us as we embark on this journey to make Trinidad and Tobago the place where our children and families can live without fear,” said Sandy.
“Our role is to ensure safety and security for TT. It’s not going to come overnight, we’re going to pursue it and I’m going to pursue it relentlessly,” he promised.
On Friday, Sandy met with all the heads of the various arms of the security agencies, and used the three-hour meeting as an “ice-breaker”. He will again meet with the heads later this week to put in place his plan to fight the scourge of crime.
“I want each division to do a personal audit, I want to see what their organisational structure is, I want to know why it is we can’t get more policemen on the streets. When they do the personal audit and I see their organisational structures that will advise me where I go from here,” he said.
Sandy assured that they would not dismiss any programmes that were introduced in the past without taking into consideration their merits. “If there are programmes that are working then by all means we’ll make it work better,” he said. Up to yesterday the TT Police Service was operating on half of its actual strength, which is supposed to be 7,000 .
Sandy assured that
the recruitment drive for the Police Service will begin as soon as possible, and every effort will be made to have the service operate at its optimum strength.
Sunday Newsday understands that the Police Service as well as other security agencies have been mandated to come up with proposals to assist in the anti-crime operations.
It remained unclear yesterday whether the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT), which was set up under the last administration will be disbanded. Under the last administration, plans were afoot to make SAUTT a legal corporate body, but this never transpired.Yesterday, Sandy who is the second Brigadier to be named National Security Minister — former Brigadier Joe Theodore was given this portfolio under the UNC in 1995 — took on his first official assignment when he attended a Prisons Sports Day in Arouca.
When asked if he had questions about accepting this new post, Sandy replied, “Yes, I did have questions and those questions were to my wife and my children.
When I retired from the Defence Force in 2002 I indicated I was prepared to serve and I feel I can make a difference. I can’t do it alone. I need help and there are a number of people around who are prepared to assist.”
