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Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal. – File photo
UNITED National Congress’s (UNC) shadow minister for National Security and MP for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal says moving police officers to Tobago is not the solution to fighting crime on the island.
Hours after Tobago recorded its first-ever quadruple murder, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher announced several initiatives she said would stem the increasing number of violent crimes being perpetrated on the island.
This included additional officers from the Guard and Emergency Branch and the Inter-Agency Task Force, CCTV cameras, intelligence gathering from the cybercrime unit and additional forensic resources.
At a media briefing on July 9, after a National Security Council meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister, Central Administrative Service in Scarborough, Prime Minister Keith Rowley Rowley called on Tobagonians to work with the police officers who will be deployed from Trinidad to help fight crime.
Dr Rowley urged the people of Tobago to view this operation as beneficial rather than a violation of their rights, as he noted approximately 90 per cent of the police officers in Tobago are Tobagonians. While this has advantages, it also has drawbacks due to “familiarity,” the PM said.
Moonilal, speaking at a media briefing on July 10, said shuffling officers between both islands is not the solution.
He said the police need more resources to do their job effectively.
He ribbed the government for similarly not providing enough resources in the fight against dengue.
“This government can’t even protect people from mosquitoes, much less protecting them against criminals.”
