PRIME Minister Stuart Young has said an incoming PNM government on April 29 will "immediately change the law for the appointment of a commissioner of police (CoP)" as part of a series of measures to deal with crime.
He made the disclosure at a PNM meeting at Exodus Pan Theatre in Tunapuna on April 5.
Young told PNM supporters, "One of the difficulties we face is not having strategic and stable leadership (in the police service) and that is the first thing that we will do as a government."
He said the appointment of a national security adviser in the Office of the Prime Minister; an elite unit in the police with advanced tactical training; intelligence-led operations; legislation to protect undercover police officers; the provision of state-of-the-art equipment and rapid-response capability to police; a dedicated multi-agency task force; use of advanced forensic science and digital evidence management; expanding the cybercrime task force; and have a rapid-response joint task force were part of the measures the new PNM administration would implement.
Young said all of those initiatives would be outlined in the PNM's election manifesto. The UNC has challenged the PNM on its failure to curtail violent crime as part of its campaign.
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Young disclosed he had directed Digital Transformation Minister Hassel Bacchus to have discussions with TSTT and Digicel to find out how to make access to mobile data more affordable to young people.
"TT is not going to let our young people be left behind. They are going to get cheaper and more access to data."
Young said the new PNM government would "expand the availability and use of virtual doctor consultations for our senior citizens who want to use it."
This, he continued, means senior citizens will no longer have to sit down, waiting in a healthcare centre to receive medical attention.
"That is how you do it responsibly. You don't say that you are going to send doctors to everybody's house."
Young said the cost of that was unsustainable.
"If one doctor could go to three different houses in a day and we introduce for senior citizens who want it, rather than they have to leave their homes early in the morning to go and line up and sit down in a health centre to wait for hours for a five-minute consultation, we are going to expand so that you will have virtual consultations with your doctor."
Young said, "They have all the records there. They ask you how you doing and if necessary you then go and pick up the drugs or send somebody to pick it up. That is how a responsible government cares for you."
He added the Youth Development and National Service Ministry would be strengthened with more programmes to help young people.
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