分类： politics

As the country’s existing state of emergency approaches its scheduled September 17 end, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago has announced a major new expansion of the government’s national anti-crime campaign: the rollout of 30 joint army-police posts across high-traffic intersections, major highways and key community hubs over the next four months.

This new security initiative marks the administration’s next step in crime mitigation, coming after two successive states of emergency implemented since the United National Congress (UNC) government assumed office in May 2025. In an official statement shared to her Facebook platform, the Prime Minister framed the joint posts as a core addition to the government’s updated national security strategy, designed to boost the visible presence of law enforcement and reclaim public spaces that have fallen under the control of criminal groups.

Persad-Bissessar emphasized that the new deployment directly answers years of repeated calls from local residents for increased security coverage across their neighborhoods. The initiative, she noted, embodies the current government’s pledge to tackle rising crime through deeper integrated collaboration between the nation’s different protective service branches.

“I am pleased to inform citizens that in the upcoming four months 30 joint army-police posts will be placed in communities across the country. Many communities have for years requested increased security presence and the protective services and Government is moving aggressively to provide such,” the Prime Minister stated. She added that the permanent posts will not only deter criminal activity but also restore a sense of safety for residents, enabling communities to once again make full use of public areas that have been abandoned due to persistent violence and criminal activity.

Twenty-four locations for the first phase of the program have already been finalized, with an additional six sites set to be confirmed in the coming weeks. To ensure the initiative delivers long-term results, Persad-Bissessar has issued a public call for civil society organizations and private sector groups to partner with law enforcement. “I encourage NGOs, business chambers, community groups and councils to adopt and support these posts and work with the security services,” she said.

The Prime Minister also used the announcement to reaffirm the government’s full confidence in the nation’s top security leadership. She extended formal gratitude to Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, SSA Director Alicia Henry, Chief of Defence Staff Commodore Don Polo, Prison Superintendent Elvin Scanterbury, and all rank-and-file officers for their ongoing work to curb criminal activity across the country. “On behalf of all law-abiding citizens I again express sincere gratitude to … all their colleagues and reaffirm our confidence in them, and their shared vision of ending the grip of crime on our nation,” she said.

Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander expanded on the details of the initiative in an interview with the Express, confirming that the program will be delivered via a coordinated partnership between his ministry, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. Alexander described the joint posts as a key component of the government’s holistic, cross-agency approach to dismantling criminal networks in high-risk areas.

Unlike intermittent mobile patrols, Alexander explained that uniformed officers will staff permanent, fixed posts at these strategic locations to enable continuous monitoring of key zones. “This is part of our anti-crime initiatives which is holistic. We have put together this particular action to tackle crime and criminality in particular areas. One of the things we try to do is monitor; and I said this when I was a police officer—we control the streets—we are going to control the state of crime,” he said.

The fixed deployment will allow joint patrol teams to respond faster to emergency calls and prevent fleeing offenders from escaping through major transit routes. “So if someone steals a car and the information comes, he must not be able to get away. Persons committing offences must not get away. When communities call, we listen; and coming from a law enforcement background, there are things I could not have done as a police officer, but now this role gives me the advantage to assist the Commissioner of Police and police officers in implementing their anti-crime strategies effectively,” Alexander added.

Beyond the new joint posts, the government is moving forward with widespread manpower expansion across all public security branches. Alexander confirmed that 233 new police officers will complete training and deploy by early September, with a second cohort of recruits already in training. Active recruitment drives are also underway for the Prison Service, Defence Force and Fire Service to boost overall staffing.

As additional personnel come on board, Alexander announced that the government will finally implement the long-unenforced hard labour provision for convicted prisoners. Under the new policy, inmate labor will be leveraged to carry out community cleanup projects across the country. “We have over 400 or more free labour in the prisons; it’s about time we implement it,” he said.

A public verbal feud between Trinidad and Tobago’s top political leaders over racial dynamics and national unity, ignited by incidents during last Saturday’s African Emancipation Day commemorations, has drawn widespread rebuke from the country’s cross-faith religious leadership, who have united to call for an immediate end to divisive rhetoric and a restoration of the nation’s long-standing culture of tolerance.

The conflict began unfolding on Emancipation Day, when Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin was booed by attendees during celebrations at Port of Spain’s Independence Square. Later that same day, crowds at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Village, hosted at Queen’s Park Savannah in the capital, jeered when Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s name was announced. The tension quickly escalated into a public confrontation between the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, with each leader accusing the other of stoking societal division across the country. Beckles publicly criticized Persad-Bissessar for skipping the official Emancipation Village event at the Savannah and raised alarms over deepening rifts in national society, calling for renewed commitment to unity. In response, Persad-Bissessar dismissed Beckles’ concerns as disingenuous and launched a sharp counterattack against the Opposition Leader.

In interviews following the clash, leaders from across Trinidad and Tobago’s diverse religious landscape uniformly expressed sorrow and regret over the public fight, emphasizing that the nation’s centuries-long tradition of intercultural and interfaith harmony must be protected and preserved above political gain.

Dr. Ellis Burris, president of the Inter Religious Organisation (IRO), slammed what he called “immature behaviour” from both the ruling People’s National Movement and the opposition United National Congress. “This is nothing more than petty politics. There is no excuse for public bickering of this sort on a national holiday that belongs to all of us,” Burris said in a phone interview. “Emancipation Day is a national observance for every Trinidadian, not just one specific group. Why would any side attack others for simply joining in the celebration? That level of confrontation is completely immature.”

Burris added that all citizens have the right to enjoy national holidays regardless of political affiliation, arguing that political rivalry should not spill over into shared national celebrations. “If the government organizes an official event, that is their prerogative. If the opposition wants to host its own gathering, they deserve the same right to do so. There is no reason this should descend into chaos,” he said. Closing his comments, Burris issued a formal appeal for renewed national unity and pride, noting that the nation will soon mark its 64th Independence Day. “We should celebrate this milestone with love and mutual care. Trinidad and Tobago has always been known for our religious and cultural harmony – that is a legacy we cannot afford to lose.”

Manwar Ali, president of the Takaaful Friendly Society, echoed Burris’ criticism, but placed particular blame on Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar for what he called disrespectful conduct. Ali argued that the Prime Minister’s choice to skip the Emancipation Village event, paired with her sarcastic response to criticism, was inappropriate for a national leader. “Emancipation Day deserves the same respect as every other major cultural and religious observance in this country, from Divali to Eid-ul-Fitr,” Ali said. “The Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago earned far more respect than it was given. A leader must be thoughtful and measured in how they respond to public events – this was far from that standard.”

Ali also condemned the open public fight between the two top political leaders, warning that public infighting sets a dangerous example for ordinary citizens. “These two leaders should not be brawling in public. Government and opposition do not have to agree on everything, but they owe it to the public to debate issues constructively in the national interest. When they fight openly, it gives permission for ordinary people to lean into negative, divisive behavior too,” he said. “I reject all talk of racial division. I am a Trinbagonian first, born and raised here alongside people of every background. We have to protect this country and build it together, not fight one another.”

Pandit Mukram Sirjoo, second vice-president of the IRO and chairman of the Trinidad Academy of Hinduism, noted that the division is entirely limited to the political elite, with daily life across multiracial grassroots communities remaining harmonious. “All this fuss is between politicians, not ordinary people. I have no issues with my Muslim or Christian brothers. Walk through any market, visit any local food stall – people of all races eat, work and shop together every day. The problem is at the top, not at the ground level. Grassroots Trinidad is still normal,” Sirjoo said.

Anglican Bishop Claude Berkley echoed calls for collaboration, saying “All of this is deeply regrettable. The nation must come together to work for the common good of all people.”

Canon Knolly Clarke, former dean of Port of Spain’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, called the clash a distressing moment for the nation. “This is a sad occasion. We are supposed to hold ourselves to a standard of dignity and mature conduct as a society. When people in high office behave this badly, it puts our whole country in a bad position,” Clarke said.

Archbishop Barbara Gray-Burke added her voice to the condemnation of racial rhetoric, saying “Emancipation Day is a national event for all of us. There is no place for talk of race that divides us. We should all be able to join this celebration together. I condemn all divisive racial talk and any attempt to ruin the sanctity and beauty of this national observance.”

As of yesterday, attempts to reach Roman Catholic Archbishop Fr Jason Gordon and Monsignor Martin Sirju for comment were unsuccessful.

Top political analyst Dr. Winford James has issued a stark call for Trinidad and Tobago’s political leadership to abandon divisive racial rhetoric, warning that long-simmering ethnic tensions could spiral into dangerous outcomes given the nation’s unique history of coexistence between two major ethnic groups spanning more than 70 years.

In an exclusive interview with local outlet Express on Wednesday, James argued that for decades, successive national governments—starting from the administration of Dr. Eric Williams—have failed to meaningfully confront systemic issues of racism, instead allowing racial identity to skew national policy and decision-making. This pattern of avoidance, he emphasized, has set the stage for the dangerous, unacceptable political discourse playing out across the nation today.

“We know racial discord can lead to racial violence. And this is not the way to go. It solves no problems,” James told reporters. He stressed that the small island nation cannot withstand the devastating social and economic fallout of open racial conflict, noting that while the country has enjoyed relative interethnic peace for generations, leaders must actively work to protect that stability instead of putting it at risk.

Turning to the current political landscape, James analyzed the strategy of the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), which lost national office in recent elections. He noted that the party appears to be prioritizing consolidating its traditional core voter base, which it believes has eroded in recent cycles. However, James warned that shifting demographic and social changes have made reliance on outdated, race-based voting patterns obsolete. Modern voters are far more informed, articulate, and issue-focused than in decades past, he explained, meaning any party that hopes to return to power must expand its appeal beyond its established ethnic and ideological base. Once political support is lost through poor performance or divisive tactics, James added, it is often extremely difficult to win back.

Beyond the question of racial division, James also delivered a broad critique of the quality of national political debate across all major parties. He argued that public discourse is dominated by shallow talking points, empty rhetoric, and counterproductive jargon, rather than substantive discussion of the core challenges that impact daily life for Trinidad and Tobago’s citizens. Neither of the country’s two largest political parties, he claimed, has put forward a credible, convincing policy agenda to address the nation’s most pressing problems. After more than a decade of PNM incumbency preceding their election loss, many voters have already concluded the party failed to deliver on key promises, he added, and the ruling party has failed to fill that policy gap with meaningful solutions of its own.

“We look around and we want to see… what the real issues are that will give the population solace and comfort going forward. But we don’t hear them. We hear shallow pronouncements, rhetoric, and unacceptable jargon on platforms and media,” James said.

He closed by urging leaders to set aside division and come together to build a clear national agenda centered on inclusive development and tangible, meaningful change for all citizens—an agenda he says is noticeably absent from current politics. “This is not the time for separation, but to come together and look at the content of what we need. We need serious conversations. The time has far come when we need to determine what the actual issues are and how we can go about getting people interested in resolving those issues,” James said. “Maintaining that peace requires a clear national agenda centred on development and meaningful change… But for that to happen we need an agenda of development and change, which is not currently evident.”