Gail Alexander
If it’s being said that schools have to move out of areas where there is gang activity and gunshots, then that means Government is ceding the communities to gangs, UNC MP Anita Haynes argues.
Haynes made the comment yesterday as she recounted the recent video which showed Rose Hill RC Primary School pupils hiding under their desks as gunshots from warring gangs rang out nearby last week. She also noted last week’s murder-suicide which occurred near the Anstey Memorial Girls’ Anglican School in San Fernando.
Speaking at a UNC media conference at the Office of the Opposition leader in Port-of-Spain, Haynes said the crime situation is now impacting the education sector and the Rose Hill matter should be a wakeup call.
She felt that statements that they may have to move the school by the MP for the constituency meant Government was giving up the community to gangs. But Haynes said the sitting MP, Keith Scotland, is part of Government’s legislative arm and should be able to lobby for stronger law to keep the community safe.
Expressing concern over whether schools will now have to move out of communities since Government couldn’t get gangs out of them, she asked if it would come to a situation in T&T where law-abiding communities will all have to move to one part of the country.
Haynes said the solution, if those in charge are unable to treat with the crime situation, is, “They ought not to be in charge.”
Haynes said Government needed to curb gang violence rather than just putting more police near schools but they were unable to keep the murder rate down and are now unable to keep students safe.
“We never had to have active shooter training for students,” she said.
Haynes also slammed National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds’ Facebook post on the Rose Hill issue. She said it insinuated that people overreacted in the Rose Hill incident
“But it can’t be easily dismissed the shooters weren’t in the school, we have recent incidents of bullets meant for others hitting children,” she said.
Haynes, who questioned if there was a whole-of-Government approach on the matter, accused Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly of silence save for Parliamentary responses.
On the recent announcement that $80 million was spent for 2,500 CCTV cameras, which are currently being installed, UNC MP Roodal Moonilal said since it would cost $32,000 per camera, Government must disclose specifications: what type of cameras, whether they can give pictures that can be evidence in court, type of contract and what process was in place to get this via open tendering, and where the footage will be sent.