The
Regiment or Army participated in joint Army Police patrols in high crime areas
or hotspots. The Coast Guard, while waiting on delivery of new Offshore Patrol
Vehicles OPVs secured by external loans since 2008, carried out numerous stop
and search exercises with the equipment presently in service, resulting in seizures
and arrest of illegal drugs and traffickers. The Air Guard, which purchased four
new helicopters in 2010 via a twenty year loan, assisted the other divisions from
above by engaging in support missions. Other areas and initiatives such as; the
Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Lifeguard Services, Transit
Police Unit, Community Comfort Patrol (CCP), Cyber Security Unit, etc., all
have specific public service mandates.
The
Police Service, still with an acting commissioner, worked hard on its public
image and to win and maintain the citizenry trust, with regular media briefings;
public safety tips and updates on current investigations. Noting that, the
arrest of officers allegedly engaged in criminal activity seemed to have had
the greatest effect on the service's image. The Prison Service, with over 2500
officers of various ranks and responsibilities, manages several detention facilities
throughout the nation. The Fire Service, with over 62
firefighters specially trained, as Paramedics and 24 ambulances are
strategically located throughout four divisions nationwide, and utilizes
a 990 emergency call system.
The
Defence Force, with its estimated 23.45% of the total Resource Preservation
funding for 2017, executes its policies utilizing its subdivisions. The Army will
continue its joint patrols with the Police in crime hotspots and during periods
of heightened public activities, such as Christmas and Carnival, in spite of uncertainties
in law regarding powers of arrest and engaging in gunfights. The Coast Guard
should deploy its new OPVs both for training exercises and interdiction in the
protection of the nation’s ocean borders. The Air Guard, in need of more resources
both equipment and trained officers, will continue to assist in search and rescue
activities and crime fighting, as needed. Other areas and initiatives in need
of specific attention in 2017 are the Forensic Science Centre and a DNA
database to strengthen detection and prosecutions.
The
Police Service with an estimated 39.22% of the total Resource Preservation
funding for 2017, with no settlement in sight on and about the process of
selecting and ultimately, appointing a permanent commissioner with the comforts
and powers of tenure, which issues seem to fall squarely in the lap of
lawmakers, parliamentarians, must continues its primary mission to protect and
serve, employ crime deterrence strategies, gathering evidence for presentation
to the courts and seeking persons of interest. The Prison Service, with 12.67% of
the total Resource Preservation budget for 2017, places great emphasis on
rehabilitation, via talent training and life coping skills. The Fire Service,
with 10.56% of the total Resource Preservation budget for 2017, also in need of
modern equipment must focus on recruitment and training.
The
funds spent and allocated for both the Ministry of National Security and the
Police Service cannot point to any significant successes, which if expanded, via
more funding, would reduce crime statistics. Many voices agree that the
bottleneck is the justice system and that disposing of violence cases, using
video conferring for preliminary enquiries resulting with minimum time spend in
jail or remand, with less exposure to wrong influences or elements, will for
the falsely accused allow the recovery of a productive law-abiding life, while
starting the guilty person's rehabilitation.
Rationale
T.A.J& Associates Company Limited uses this occasion to
comment on topics that have been covered, both academically and by the
mainstream media, to add its opinion and point out investment opportunity, not
to invoke any social action.
