(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says he is distressed and shocked following the murder of Mi4 security officer Mark Nurse.
Rowley spoke to reporters in Tobago yesterday following the official opening of the Roxborough Police Station.
Commenting on the murder and robbery at Penny Savers Supermarket, Rowley said: “I am shocked because assault weapons in crime, in tranquil communities like that, will always shock you, because you don’t expect it.
“But they are running around out there and the job now is to find them, because if you don’t find them they would do it again.”
He said police officers need to be properly equipped to treat with criminal elements. “And unfortunately you will have to have the best weapons as well, because police officers with six shooters against the criminal elements with assault weapons just not on.
“We have to make sure as we have done that, our police officers are also properly armed,” he said.
In light of this, he said efforts are being made to have vessels properly patrolling Tobago’s waters.
“We have in Australia with the support of the Australian Government again as part of our diplomatic initiative, two coastal patrol vessels which should be with us in the not-too-distant future which should give us the opportunity to patrol around the waters of Tobago in a way that we have not been able to,” he added.
He said citizens must be aware there is somebody always watching and who would want to take advantage of any weakness or loopholes that they may see.
“We have to be security conscious at all times in every place,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of National Security Stuart Young yesterday visited Penny Savers Supermarket where the incident occurred as well as the Shirvan Police Station.
“I spoke to the head of Homicide here in Tobago. I used the opportunity to speak to her to find out how the investigation was going.
“One of the spent shells that were found at the crime scene at Penny Savers Supermarket, which I also visited and spoke to the manager on my way here, was what we call a 5.56 round, as well as a 9 millimetre. A 5.56 round is used by AR15 which are assault rifles.
“So let no one think that anywhere in Trinidad and Tobago is safe from the use of these rifles. Once Parliament resumes we would be proceeding with the Bail Amendment 2019 and what that is saying is any criminal element found with an AR15 or like automatic weapon, should not be granted bail,” Young said.
