(Trinidad Express) National Security Minister Stuart Young has announced the cancellation of a residential patrol plan which was expected to begin on Monday, at a cost of $87,000 per patrol.
This, he said, was in response to the overwhelming position adopted by citizens that there was no need for an additional layer of protection.
The cancellation of the plan came within 20 hours of the National Security Ministry disclosing it in a press release on Tuesday afternoon.
Criticism of the plan was immediate. Many saw it as a way to give contracts to private security companies for no good reason, given that the Defence Force was being underutilized.
Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Young said the Government had identified four companies to conduct mobile patrols in communities throughout the country from Monday until May 5.
He said the authorities had also negotiated a price cheaper than the initial pilot price that was implemented in 2014. The companies identified were Allied Security Ltd, Amalgamated Security Services Ltd, Innovative Security Technologies Limited and Protective Agencies Limited.
Young said, “It has become apparent in last 12 to 24 hours that the population of Trinidad and Tobago believe they currently feel safe enough and there no need to add any additional layer of security to what our Defence Force and police service are doing. It is clear that many people already feel secure and believe there is no need for this extra proactive measure that was designed and being implemented to give extra comfort to the population of Trinidad and Tobago. We have heard from the population and are very happy to hear that the population feel secure without the need for any additional measure that was not even going to cost a fraction of what other measures are costing.”
And after consultation with the prime minister, Young said, a decision was taken to immediately cancel residential patrols.
“I will be approaching the four security companies, thanking them for stepping forward in a short space of time. The first meeting took place last Thursday and they were ready to commence on Monday. They would have moved heaven and earth to be able to provide that additional layer of comfort,” he said.
Even while Young was speaking about the plan, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith issued a press release, saying the TTPS did not make such a request, nor does it have the authority and the funding for such a project.
Griffith said the initiative as announced whereby four private security companies will patrol certain neighbourhoods for the next month, was a policy drafted by the Government.
“The TTPS carries out Government policy and we will make the best use of any policy to ensure that criminal elements do not use this period of the COVID-19 crisis to carry out their illegal acts. “At the moment, the TTPS is responsible for carrying out the policy decisions made in the Regulations of the Public Health Ordinance to ensure that citizens adhere to what is necessary as we fight this invisible virus. Our officers are on the frontline as we ensure that there are no breaches to the regulations. As you would note, there was cause to arrest and charge three bar owners for operating their businesses despite the enforcement of the Regulations. Although there is a list of non-essential businesses, we are still seeing too many people on the roads, many of whom really have no business being out there.”