At a press conference last Wednesday, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal renewed Opposition calls for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to fire National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds. It wasn’t the first time a call had been made for Hinds to be moved from office as the administration struggled to get crime under control.
Guardian Media Investigations Desk takes a critical look at Hinds’ role in the hot seat.
Joshua Seemungal
Senior Multimedia Journalist
joshua.seemungal@guardian.co.tt
As part of a Cabinet switch-up by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Fitzgerald Hinds was appointed National Security Minister on April 19 2021, replacing Stuart Young who was moved to the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries. The attorney and former police officer was previously Minister of Youth Development and National Service.
His appointment came just weeks after the murder of 23-year-old court clerk Andrea Bharatt prompted nationwide protests.
The spike in violent crimes in early 2021 came after T&T saw its highest reduction in crime in 30 years in 2020. Former Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith attributed the decrease to improvements in the TTPS but several criminologists attributed it to the COVID-19 lockdown. Whatever the real reasons for the sharp decrease were, it didn’t last long.
In 2021, there were 448 murders, followed by the two highest murder tolls in the country’s history in 2022 and 2023, 605 and 575 respectively. Over the last decade, escalating crime rates have led to calls for the firings of all National Security Ministers during that time. Still, Hinds has, arguably, faced more calls than any of his predecessors.
As early as January 2022, the Opposition called for Hinds, in office for less than a year, to be fired. They have repeated that call throughout his stint, with the latest made this past week. Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal accused Hinds of seeking to expedite firearm users’ licenses for his security detail while Gary Griffith was CoP. Hinds denied that claim.
Between 2013 and 2024, there were five National Security Ministers. Three were under Dr Keith Rowley’s PNM government - Fitzgerald Hinds, Stuart Young and Edmund Dillon. Two were under Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s People’s Partnership government - Carl Alfonso and Gary Griffith.
Hinds is the longest serving of all those ministers - 1,183 days as of today.
During that period, the highest daily rate of murders has been recorded with approximately 1.55 murders per day - 1748 murders in 1127 days. Comparatively, the lowest daily rate of murders during any national security minister’s tenure during that period was 1.03 murders a day under Retired Brigadier Carl Alfonso who served for a few months between February and September 2015.
Hinds has overseen the lowest daily rate of reported robberies and burglaries with 4.3 robberies per day and 6.4 robberies a day respectively.
Firearms concerns
Firearms are used in more than 85 per cent of murders, a fact acknowledged by Minister Hinds. In July 2022, Hinds said an analysis from the SSA determined there were approximately 12,000 illegal firearms in T&T.
Criminologist Dr Daurius Figuiera estimates it is three times that amount.
Since 2021, 2,325 illegal guns have been recovered by the TTPS. Although there have been increases in the number of illegal firearms recovered every year since Hinds became minister, that figure represents just 19 per cent of Hinds’ estimate of total guns on the streets and less than one per cent of Dr Figuiera’s estimate.
In June, Hinds was asked by Independent Senator Paul Richards if the TTPS has challenges in arresting those involved in the illegal firearm trade.
He replied: “Yes and there are ongoing enquiries as we speak because this is a present and burgeoning problem.” The minister admitted that what is in place at legal borders to block the import of guns is not enough.
Although illegal firearms are responsible for the vast majority of murders, Hinds continues to claim that there is an increase in the number of legal firearms used to commit crimes. His statements s have drawn criticism from the Opposition and firearm dealers.
Regional security expert Garvin Heerah said that given the number of illegal weapons entering through legal ports, there are serious concerns about the country’s border control management plan and strategy. He said the issue extends beyond the installation of container scanners at seaports, as it requires a comprehensive overhaul of border control policies and procedures.
“To effectively address this issue, we must undertake thorough and intrusive investigations that delve into the financial and documentation processes associated with legal ports of entry. This includes scrutinizing transactions, supply chains, and the overall operational integrity of entities involved in import and export activities. Only through penetrative and probing investigations can we uncover and dismantle the networks facilitating the illegal arms trade,” Heerah said.
Hinds performance
Since 2013, the National Security Ministry has been allocated more than $72.2 billion in national budgets. As stated by economist Dr Marlene Attz in a 2023 interview, a major problem is measuring return on investment. The inability to do so makes it difficult to examine a national security minister’s performance outside of crime statistics, public opinion and high-profile incidents. Under Hinds’ tenure, there have been quite a few high-profile incidents and noteworthy announcements - many of which didn’t sit well with the public.
Figueira said Hinds has managed to be little more than a political purveyor of good news for the government.
“He’s not a change agent, so all he has been doing is looking to dish out political propaganda, and out fires. The latest fire they are looking to put out is SSA but as to dealing with intractable problems and formulating solutions, he doesn’t have that track record. None of them.
“He is there to do exactly what he is doing. So he is, in fact, a political holding action because it is clear and apparent that the government is in a state of panic,” Figueira said.
He said things are unlikely to improve with or without Hinds as National Security Minister as the country’s political system rewards minions, meaning the issues that need to be treated are left unaddressed.
Heerah opted not to speak directly about Hinds’ performance but was willing to speak about policy.
He said it is essential for the head of the Ministry of National Security to receive periodic updates, audit reports, and evaluations on the serviceability status of resources and assets. Those reports, along with key performance indicators measuring output, are fundamental in maintaining an effective and efficient security apparatus.
During Hinds’ more than three years as National Security Minister, the government has introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at improving the criminal justice system.
The Bail Amendment (2024) Bill, which seeks to restrict bail for people charged with serious offences, was passed in the House of Representatives and Senate with Opposition support.
In June 2022, the Sexual Offences Act, Chap. 11:28 was amended, creating two registers for convicted sex offenders.
In late 2022, the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, which allows the National Security Minister to extend the validity of a Firearm user licence beyond three years and also allows prison officers to have firearms when off-duty if their life and safety is under threat, was passed.
Last week, the Upper House passed The Whistleblower Protection Bill 2022. It seeks to encourage and facilitate disclosures of improper conduct in the public and private sectors to combat corruption and other wrongdoings. Also passed was the Integrity Testing (Polygraph bill). The bill seeks to use polygraph testing as a mandatory measure to identify rogue elements in national security agencies.
Figuiera believed the laws passed since Hinds took office were focused on extinguishing fires, as opposed to taking meaningful action.
“For example, they brought the polygraph testing thing because America says frankly, I am not training anybody without it,” he said.
However, Heerah praised the Polygraph Bill.
“The application of polygraph testing should extend beyond the Police Service to encompass all branches of National Security, including key state agencies. By broadening the scope, the legislation ensures a uniform standard of integrity across the board, thereby strengthening the overall security framework of the nation,” he said.
Timeline of notable events (Put In Box)
In October 2021, a Maraval family’s dog was killed after it was hit by a security vehicle driving Minister Hinds to his home. The family claimed the vehicle was speeding and failed to stop. Hinds apologized.
In November 2021, Hinds announced an audit into the TTPS’ firearms unit under the administration of former CoP Gary Griffith following an investigation by retired judge Justice Stanley John and a probe by retired ACP Arthur Barrington and retired chief of Defence staff Haydn Pritchard.
In February 2022, Hinds faced heavy criticism from the public after he said it was not his duty to ensure that people were secure during an interview with Fazeer Mohammed.
“No, my duty is not to ensure that people feel safe and secure. My duty is to ensure that those organizations and agencies that are responsible for the public’s safety, and border security, they are clear about what the people through the Government’s policy, that they are provided with the resources that they need, and that I lend encouragement and general support to them, that’s my duty,” he said.
In June 2022, Hinds defended the temporary suspension of the issuance of FULs, stating that “the bigger picture” demanded an audit into suspicious activity.
In November 2022, there was widespread public criticism of Hinds for comments he made in the aftermath of a shooting near Rose Hill RC School in Laventille. He wrote the following, in part, on Facebook after people expressed outrage and disgust at seeing a video showing children ducking for cover:
“The video of the children of the Rose Hill RC School, in Laventille, laying themselves onto the ground, at the sound of automatic gunfire; and in which the voice of the teacher telling them “shhhhhhhhh”, signalling that they keep quiet; was quite misleading. You could be forgiven for thinking that gunmen were actually on the compound. They were not! In fact, the actual shooting took place about 200m away. This video, which went viral, came to my attention only yesterday. The event occurred on Monday.
“The CoP and the S/Supt PoS Division briefed me on the facts. The school administration made it quite clear that the children were not ever, from that incident, at the peril of any physical danger. It was the trauma and fear that gripped them all. Sadly, this was not the first time. Within recent weeks, they had this unfortunate experience on a couple of occasions.”
In December 2022, a social media post by a media company claimed Hinds was fired. The post was quickly shared thousands of times. However, the information was incorrect.
In March 2023, faced with a mounting murder rate, Hinds was asked about his crime plan and he responded: “You have asked some troubling and difficult questions. A minister of Government does not generate or create a crime plan. That is a matter for the Police Commissioner, the Defence Force that supports the police.”
In April 2023, Justice Frank Seepersad condemned Hinds without naming him, accusing him of challenging an order issued by the court while reading a letter written by former Acting Commissioner of Prisons Deopersad Ramoutar. In the letter, Ramoutar said he was advised by the minister to seek clarity on the judge’s request to visit the prison after the court ruled murder convict Ronald Bisnath should be removed from death row.
“If the contents of the letter are accurate and same was issued pursuant to the directions of a member of the Executive, such a circumstance signals that there may be an impending constitutional crisis and/or an overt attempt by a member of the Executive to interfere with judicial independence and the exercise of judicial discretion and authority…This attempt at interference must be condemned and will not be condoned,” Seepersad said.
In April 2023, at a forum hosted by the Confederation of Regional Business Chambers and the Trade and Development Unit of UWI St Augustine, Hinds expressed doubt about crime being linked to poverty and unemployment, as suggested by an economist.
“The jury for me is out on that. I know many people who cannot be characterized as unemployed or poor who find themselves engaged in serious criminal activity, people who are well off, of which those things cannot be said,” he said.
In May 2023, the Law Association called on Hinds to apologize for a televised statement alleging that criminals have friends in the Judiciary. The association claimed the statement was directed at the Judiciary and Justice Devindra Rampersad after he upheld a lawsuit by Brent Thomas who was arrested at a hotel in Barbados in October 2022, handed over to T&T police at the airport and returned to this country to be charged with firearm offences.
“Apart from being grossly unfair, reckless statements like these undermine public confidence in the Judiciary and benefit no one . . . The Judiciary notes that gratuitous statements such as those made by the Honourable Minister have a dangerous effect of undermining public trust and confidence in the Judiciary and the rule of law and as such have no place in society,” a LATT release said.
In the same month, Hinds denied that he was involved in the arrest of Thomas, saying it was a police matter.
In November 2023, at a press conference, Minister Hinds announced the country’s first conviction of a human trafficker. He said Anthony Michael Smith was charged and convicted of 21 human trafficking offences. However, he added that Smith had disappeared while wearing an electronic monitoring device. Smith was re-arrested in February.
In January Hinds said at a political meeting in San Juan that one of his biggest achievements was seeing Gary Griffith removed as Police Commissioner.
In May, the National Security Ministry announced in a release that SSA Director Roger Best had been fired.
In April, Hinds said although he is “constitutionally responsible” for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), he should not be blamed for what took place with the intelligence agency and if he knew what was taking place, he would have acted sooner.
In June, following the controversial arrest and laying of sedition charge against vlogger Cristopher “Chris Must List” Hughes in May, Hinds said vloggers posting videos about gang members put T&T in a negative light.
Also in June, T&To was upgraded to Tier 2 status from ‘Tier 2 - Watch List’ in the US Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report. The US State Department found that there were increased investigations and prosecutions and acknowledged that T&T had convicted a human trafficker for the first time in its history. However, it said the country failed to meet the standard in a few areas.
“Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes by some in the police and national security services, including at more senior levels, remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action. Efforts to address alleged official complicity including trafficking of potential and actual victims at the immigration detention centres remained inadequate and resulted in re-trafficking.”
The US State Department Report noted that transnational organised crime with links to large criminal gangs in Latin America may be becoming increasingly involved in trafficking.
Also in June, Hinds withdrew claims he made in earlier in the month at a press conference, that firearms dealer Towfeek Ali failed to produce records to police during an audit of his dealership, claiming they were stolen. A press release the next day said in part: “The statement therefore being erroneous, is hereby withdrawn.”
The Ministry recently partnered with local reggae artistes to launch an anti-crime competition, ‘Call or Order, which challenges young people to upload videos of themselves singing.