“A UNC Government will take immediate action to tackle gang warfare and violence in Trinidad and Tobago.
That’s according to Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, following the fatal shooting of two brothers outside a preschool in Malick on Wednesday morning. A four-year-old child and two others were also shot and wounded during the incident at Johnny Basement, Upper 7th Avenue, Malick.
Persad-Bissessar criticised the Dr Keith Rowley government calling the fatal shootings a clear indication of the administration’s failure to address rampant lawlessness and gang violence in Trinidad and Tobago.
She said: “We have a comprehensive anti-crime plan of action to restore law, order and peace in this nation. We also have a comprehensive justice reform plan to implement.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “The blood of the many innocents are on the hands of Rowley and his entire Government.”
She said that the safety of children and families has been compromised.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Our children are no longer safe in schools. Citizens are no longer safe in their homes.”
Describing the current state of the nation as a “danger zone,” she said, “Can you imagine the trauma these children faced today (Wednesday) hearing gunshots ring out as a bloody nightmare plays out mere feet away?”
She condemned the violence and urged Dr Rowley to take decisive action, including the removal of National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds from his position. She called for immediate psychological support for the children and families impacted by the shooting.
She said, “While some hide behind parliament and press releases I am the only politician who has physically gone to Morvant Laventille to meet and listen to the people who live there. I know their feelings and their fears. I want them to stay strong, help is coming after the next general election.”
Persad-Bissessar warned that without significant intervention, T&T would descend further into chaos.
She said that despite the UNC’s backing of 37 pieces of legislation, the government’s incompetence has rendered them ineffective.
She said, “What good is the law when it cannot be enforced?”
Persad-Bissessar said the country’s low crime detection rates was a factor contributing to a culture of fear among citizens.
She also raised concerns about the underreporting of serious crimes, attributing it to public distrust in law enforcement. “Statistically, we are in a worse state than is being reported,” she said.