A cautious welcome for army-police posts

In an effort to address rising crime, Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced plans to establish 30 joint army-police posts across communities. This initiative aims to provide a sustained security presence once the current state of emergency concludes, a move that has been a frequent request from citizens seeking enhanced safety.

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Many communities have for years requested increased security presence and the protective services and Government is moving aggressively to provide such.

The Prime Minister shared the plan via a Facebook post, stating that the government is moving aggressively to provide the increased security presence that many communities have long requested. While the announcement was not made through an official government statement, it signals a strategy to contain crime following the lifting of emergency powers.

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I don’t know exactly how they are going to set it up, but I like the idea. It will keep away the idle boys, provided the police do their jobs.

Residents from various communities offered a cautiously optimistic reception to the news. A man from Maracas Valley, St Joseph, expressed approval of the idea, hoping it would deter idle individuals, provided the police fulfill their duties. Another resident from Kelly Village, where shootings have occurred, stated that the posts would make them feel safer and more protected in an area with a difficult reputation. However, a resident from Mt Lambert raised concerns about the police's capacity to respond, questioning the effectiveness of more posts if officers lack the necessary vehicles and equipment to reach crime scenes promptly.

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People have been shot right here. We will feel safer and more protected. The area has a bad reputation, but apart from the crime it is a nice and convenient place to live.

Kiran Singh, president of the Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce, believes the posts will be more beneficial for crime detection than prevention, given the Police Service's historically low detection rates. He emphasized that increased surveillance through these posts could help intercept criminals. The Trinidad Express noted that similar initiatives, like hotspot policing under a previous administration, did not prevent criminals from relocating to other areas, leaving high-crime communities still plagued by offenses. The article suggests that these new posts could facilitate rapid response, potentially aided by technology like drones for immediate surveillance and tracking, which could help police apprehend perpetrators more effectively.

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The detection rate of the Police Service has been abysmally low, as we know, and one essential way they can intercept the criminals is through more surveillance.