Radhica De Silva
Minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning addressed the progress of the State of Emergency (SOE) this morning, saying it has been beneficial in crime reduction. “This is something that the leadership of the Police Service decided was needed, and it has borne fruit.
People deserve to feel safe, and the proper authorities are doing everything in their power to take arms and ammunition off the streets. The public has been clamouring for that, and the SOE has been facilitating that aspect of the situation to ensure we are safer.”
Asked about the capture of major criminals or "big fish" (a term also used by his late father former Prime Minister Patrick Manning), Manning said results cannot always be predicted. “You can’t determine in advance everything that the SOE is going to accomplish, but it is still being enforced, and who knows what else we will accomplish.”
On the appointment of Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin, Manning said he expects the officeholder to focus on crime reduction. “We all want a Commissioner of Police who is focused on doing the job at hand, has the best interests of the people of T&T at heart, and prioritizes making people feel safe. The Police Service is separate from politics and politicians, but we all live here, we all have our families here, and we all want to feel safe.”
Asked whether people have confidence in the way Christopher was appointed, Manning said it was too early to tell. “We haven’t seen him in action yet. He is acting at this point in time, and we do not know how long he will be there. However, while he is in office, we expect him to do the best possible job.”
Manning was speaking at the ribbon cutting of the City Heights housing project. He said it has created employment and provided new housing options. “A lot of employment was created from this project, particularly in the construction sector, and we are glad that there are now more housing options for the people of San Fernando East. We are extremely happy with this venture and the opening of this housing facility.”