Tobago Business Chamber wants a further police shake-up

Senior Reporter

jensen.lavende@guardian.co.tt

With another murder just days after the hierarchy of the Tobago Division of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) was changed, the chairman of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George is calling for a further shake-up of the police on the island.

George, who attended the Citizen’s Summit on Crime and Violence at the TML Hall, St Joseph, yesterday, said replacing acting ACP Collis Hazel and Snr Supt Rodhill Kirk with ACP Oswain Subero and Snr Supt Earl Elie two weeks ago was the first step in the right direction.

“That is a start, definitely. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results so changing the leadership at the top is a start,” he said.

However, he wants more officers to be shuffled as they have become too complacent. George expressed concern about the island’s most recent murder, the shooting death of Nicholas Mitchell in Argyle.

Mitchell, 32, was asleep when gunmen entered his home through a window and shot him. A day earlier, Brandon Edwards was gunned down while on his way home after liming at a bar.

George said, “You need some new blood, new ideas, you need new invigoration. They need to look at rotating more officers not just the head, go down the line, check those who have been there for decades rotate them and bring in new blood and new ideas.”

He explained that this will address the claims of nepotism and favouritism where some officers are afraid to properly investigate matters involving relatives and friends. He said new officers unfamiliar with the people would be better suited to take over.

George, a former member of the Police Service Commission (PolSC), added that the police executive needs to be held to account, as is its constitutional mandate and not remain “dumb and mum.”

Asked about his wish for the upcoming budget, George said repealing one piece of legislation will bring in much-needed forex for the country.

“My first and greatest wish is that the Minister (of Finance Colm Imbert) cause the immediate and unconditional repeal of the Foreign Investment Act. That act has crippled and stifled all direct foreign investment in Tobago. It is so palpably absurd and stupid,” he said.

George said at a time when the country is starved for foreign exchange, the law makes it almost impossible for Tobago to seek foreign investors on its own.

Imbert is expected to deliver the budget in the House of Representatives next Monday.

Last year’s budget was a $59.209 billion package predicated on an oil price of US$85 per barrel and a natural gas price of US$5 per MMBtu.

Tobago received $2.585 billion, of which $2.298 billion was allocated for recurrent expenditure, $260 million for development, $18 million for the Unemployment Relief Programme and $9.2 million for the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP).

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