Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 11/Aug 18:26

Gary lashes out at Augustine: ‘Don’t insult coast guards’

THE Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) decision to rent two vessels to help the coast guard patrol the borders demonstrates ignorance of national security issues, former national security minister and National Transformation Alliance (NTA) leader Gary Griffith has said. On August 9, Griffith responded to THA chief secretary Farley Augustine who disclosed plans to combat the unprecedented spate of murders and violent crimes in Tobago at a press conference in Shaw Park hours before. Augustine said the THA intends to rent two fishing vessels and vehicles for the coast guard to patrol the seas and carry out its duties effectively on land. “Currently, the Coast Guard works along with the fisheries department and they do, in fact, have some monitoring of the marine park area in Buccoo – the lagoon area. “But it is not enough given what we are seeing and what the intelligence is providing for us on the island,” said Augustine. He said the THA also wants to create a database for the accommodation and transportation sectors, to have “in real-time, information on who is staying where,” among a host of anti-crime measures. “The reality is those (who intend to) commit crimes are very mobile. They tend to rent three and four places around the island and they move about quite often,” he said. But in a scathing response, Griffith argued that Augustine’s idea shows a “lack of understanding of proper border security” and disrespects trained coast guard personnel. Griffith stressed that the Coast Guard's role is to secure the nation’s exclusive economic zone, which extends from two miles to 200 miles offshore, and said deploying them in pirogues close to shore is inappropriate. “Suggesting that we throw these trained professionals into rented pirogues to patrol close to shore is a blatant disrespect to their training and expertise,” Griffith said. Griffith noted that he re-established the police’s marine branch to patrol the shoreline up to two miles out, in conjunction with the coast guard. “This initiative was supported by the PM at the time, who directed me to establish a similar setup in Tobago,” said Griffith, adding that former commissioner McDonald Jacob and current commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher dismantled the branch after his departure, leaving Tobago vulnerable to illegal activities. He said the six vessels, acquired during his tenure from Dutch company Damen, including the 50-metre "Speyside" vessel, were intended to patrol waters up to 200 miles out but have remained unused due to perceived political negligence. “These vessels, which cost $1.2 billion less than the three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) previously considered, have the capability to patrol more extensive areas simultaneously. “Despite being ready for deployment since 2015, these vessels have remained moored, unused due to political spite, bad mind and wilful negligence.” He said another multi-faceted anti-crime system was implemented and scrapped. It included the use of drones, radar monitoring, and coordination with the police’s marine branch and Damen vessels. “It is evident that under Keith Rowley, driven by pettiness, and now Farley Augustine, driven by desperation and a lack of understanding of proper border protection operational policy, Tobago remains exposed to criminal elements. “This vulnerability will persist unless an administration with individuals who possess the capability and understanding of the roles and functions of law enforcement agencies, including the coast guard, comes into office. He said the current administration must have the “political will to secure Tobago,” which is “exactly what we intend to do immediately following the next general elections.” Newsday could not reach coach guard commanding officer Captain Don Polo to ascertain whether the coast guard was on board with Augustine’s plans. Public relations officer Khadija Lamy said the coast guard did not have a comment. The post Gary lashes out at Augustine: ‘Don’t insult coast guards’ appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.