National Security Minister Jack Warner is not in support of giving bigger guns to municipal police.Warner was speaking to reporters at his Chaguanas West constituency office yesterday.Warner said, "I don't know if bigger guns would be the answer to addressing crime...I am shocked to have read that bigger guns are needed to solve crime. If I we were to take that advice to the full, a cannon in the hands of these officers would even be better."
The minister said higher police visibility and a higher level of intelligence gathering was needed.On Friday, Louis Lee Sing, the Port-of-Spain mayor, called for bigger guns to be given to the municipal police force to deter criminals who harass his contractors when they work in the city's crime hot spots.Lee Singh told a Joint Select Committee (JSC) hearing at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre in Port-of-Spain, that criminals are unafraid when confronted by city police officers armed with handguns.
Plans to recruit5,000 SRPs
Warner said the joint army/police patrols would bring additional strength to the police service. He said the police service was going on a very aggressive recruitment drive to recruit 5,000 Special Reserve Policemen.Warner said there are also plans afoot to strengthen the coast guard and the army to bring the Defense Force up to par.
Warner said the Defense (Amendment) Bill is receiving tremendous support from the public. He said there are a few individuals and detractors bent on steering public support away from the bill for their own political purposes.