- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 19/Jul 02:44

Chief Sec: SoE must not be wasted

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine is hoping the state of emergency (SoE) – the second one in seven months – will lead to the apprehension and successful prosecution of major criminals. He said so during a news conference in Trinidad on July 18, hours after the SoE was declared in response to intelligence which revealed that organised criminal gangs, within and outside of the prisons, were plotting to carry out murders, robberies and kidnappings. Augustine said the THA supports government's efforts but insisted the SoE must ensure the safety and security of citizens going forward. “Let me say this up front, while we support the government in any approach that will lead to safety and security, I want to be clear that we will be disappointed if after this, we don’t find a way to apprehend the people who want to cause us harm. “We have to use this period when there are restrictions in terms of human rights to ensure that we are able almost permanently to reduce the levels of crime. We are hoping that unlike the first time where I believe the state of emergency was wasted in terms of the outcomes, that this time it would not be wasted.” He described as “unfortunate,” the availability of cellphones in prisons. “Quite frankly, it is unfortunate that in 2025, Trinidad and Tobago is still grappling with the issue of cellphones in prisons. I wish we would have been at a place where we were using the technology to prevent the use of cellular communication in our prisons. But clearly we are not there yet. “People behind bars have been able to use the technology to actually effect harm on persons who are outside, our ordinary citizens. Beyond the moving of prisoners the government must find a way to restrict the use of cellular devices behind prisons walls. To support the SoE, Augustine said he has convened a meeting of the Tobago Security Council for July 20. “On Sunday, I have actually moved forward the date of the Tobago Security Council meeting, our statutory meeting. So we are actually meeting Sunday at 1 pm in Tobago. It includes the heads of the national security apparatus in Tobago. “This particular meeting I have invited the security representatives from both the Chamber of Commerce and the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association so that we can discuss matters where the Tobago House of Assembly can offer additional support to the security apparatus in Tobago during this time to ensure that it is successful in Tobago.” Augustine noted the negative impact the previous SoE has had on the island’s tourism sector. “It is important to understand that for us in Tobago, whenever there is a state of emergency, that there is reasonable anxiety in the tourism industry, both locally and internationally and those anxieties have led to phone calls to my office. “The last time there was a state of emergency notwithstanding there was no curfew, internal agents and partners of the Tobago House of Assembly and the people of Tobago, such as BA (British Airways) decided that they won’t market Tobago because there was a risk involved. “We very much expect that the anxieties will lead to a similar response. So while we are saying that the government must do what it needs to do to get rid of crime, the country must understand that it is a sacrifice that we are making in Tobago on behalf of the country to ensure we can achieve peace, safety and security.” He also applauded the government’s decision to discuss the implementation of the SoE with the THA. “There is one major difference between the last time we had a state of emergency declared. The difference is that the central government, the Attorney general has actually had conversations with the THA. “The last time the state of emergency was declared, no one called or consulted the chief secretary, no one said anything to the chief secretary or to the Tobago House of Assembly, No one asked our opinions. This time around, the difference is that this morning (July 18) just after 11 am, I had a face to face meeting with the Attorney General John Jeremie, Senior Counsel at his office in Port of Spain.” Augustine said they discussed aspects of the intelligence that was gathered and why it was necessary to implement another SoE. He said he told Jeremie that they needed to use this opportunity to really “grab hold of the offenders. The post Chief Sec: SoE must not be wasted appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.