PNM political leader Pennelope Beckles says the Opposition is prepared to work with the Government in the fight against crime, stressing that the issue demands unity across political lines.
Speaking to Guardian Media on Saturday outside City Hall ahead of the party’s “For the Love of Liberty” Independence Day celebration, Beckles addressed the shooting of Dr Dorothy Williams-Chandler in Champs Fleurs.
“I know the Chandler family, so the whole matter is very distressing. The issue is crime, and when you speak about crime, we speak about an activity that affects every Trinidadian and Tobagonian,” she said.
Beckles described crime as the nation’s most pressing challenge, cutting across class, geography, and party affiliation. She called for a collective approach involving the Government, Opposition, civil society, and the private sector to ensure meaningful results.
“We understand that you have to take a multiplicity of interventions, and I have indicated my willingness to work with the Government on these issues—which we are still willing to do,” she added.
Beckles also questioned whether the Government’s recent proposal for a national policy on gated communities was an effective strategy.
“Over the years, you fabricate all these different things, but sometimes people still get in. Even police stations have been breached by criminals, so let us acknowledge that crime has gotten to the stage where all of us need to get together,” she said.
The Opposition Leader further challenged the effectiveness of the current State of Emergency.
“Is it that the State of Emergency has failed? Because if you were saying to the public that this was necessary—that crime was getting out of control and that ministers were being targeted—I made it abundantly clear that a State of Emergency alone cannot deal with crime.”— Jesse Ramdeo
