(Trinidad Guardian) Go after the big fish.
This is the call from the business community to Government as it seeks to grapple with rising crime woes.
The urgent message came from AMCHAM T&T’s president Stuart Franco as he delivered remarks at the organisation’s Economic Outlook Forum 2024 at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. The event was themed “Adaptation and Resilience.”
“We should go further with proactive policing using data analytics to predict and prevent flare ups after initial crimes and to identify and disrupt gang activity,” Franco said.
“However, let’s be realistic. We need to have concerted action and results targeting the big fish—the people who pretend to be legitimate businesspeople but are deeply entrenched in criminal activity. White-collar crime and corruption are insidious.”
He warned that if no dent is made in arresting crime, then the country and its institutions will worsen.
“This is destroying our country. It’s time for the TTPS to publicly state their metrics and for us all to work together to achieve them while simultaneously holding each other to account.”
Franco also advised that law enforcement be properly outfitted to conduct their duties effectively, saying there must also be state-of-the-art DNA testing and equipment at the Forensic Science Centre, with the most modern investigative techniques to combat crime.
Additionally, Franco suggested a comprehensive and centralised database with DNA profiles from all convicted offenders, suspects, missing people and victims of crime is implemented to further beef-up Government’s crime fighting arsenal.
Franco further outlined how technology can assist streamlining the crime fighting process to make it more efficient and effective.
“We also need to ensure that our digital transformation journey extends to the TTPS to procure state-of-the-art software for managing the flow and oversight of investigations and the use of the hardware, software, and cybersecurity protocols to protect case file data, and this should extend to case management,” he said.
On the legislative front, he said there is urgent need to reform laws as it pertains to criminalising cybercrimes and cybercriminals, to protect both the interests of business and national security.
“As the Government incentivises cybersecurity in the private sector, we look forward to an updated cybersecurity strategy for the public sector, inclusive of training for public servants and the general public. This will be important for building the public’s trust and increasing the uptake and usage of the digital services as more and more become available,” Franco said.
However, he was very vocal in reiterating his call to arrest the worrying crime situation, as he emphasised that businesses will be further negatively impacted.
“Let me be clear, if we don’t make inroads and reduce crime in 2024, the country and its institutions will be even more seriously weakened. More investments will be halted, more of our professionals will migrate and more lives will be lost,” Franco stressed.
Meanwhile, former AMCHAM T&T board member Gregory Hill advised the private sector to do its part in the crime fight by putting resources into technology.
“It’s up to the private sector to step up and provide CCTV for your neighbourhood, your block, where your business is located. If we all do that together and we look at all the major roads, we will build a network of CCTV cameras that will greatly assist in crime detection,” Hill, vice president, Finance and Corporate Services of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), added.
TTTI responds
Guardian Media reached out to T&T Transparency Institute (TTTI) to comment on the appeal made by Franco to go after the “big fish” and weed out corruption.
In a statement yesterday afternoon, the TTTI said corruption has become part of “our culture” and must be eradicated.
In this vein, it said swift enforcement and punishment, where necessary, must be used as a disincentive for engaging in corrupt activities.
“The prevalence of crime and corruption in any country negatively impacts citizens, while siphoning resources needed away from public goods like infrastructure, health systems and inhibiting small business and economic prospects,” the TTTI said.
It also said focus has always been on eradicating corruption, in all its forms, from the landscape of this country, adding that it fully supports initiatives targeting this goal – “from the ‘big fish to the wabine (guabine)’.”
In carrying out and fulfilling this mandate, the organisation believes this requires a whole of society approach from strengthening legislation, institutional structures and enforcement of laws passed, to citizens taking decisive and deliberate action not to participate in corrupt activities.
TTTI acknowledged that efforts have been made through the passage and implementation of anti-corruption legislation but noted that there is still much that can be done to combat kleptocrats, bribers and money-launderers.
“TTTI once again appeals to Parliamentarians to quickly work on the passage and implementation of whistle-blower legislation and campaign finance reform which, in our view, address corruption at the highest levels,” the statement added.
On January 30, 2024, the TTTI will release the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) under the theme Corruption and Justice, which it said is timely to “the matters affecting T&T”.