As the crime situation worsens in T&T with brazen and violent home invasions, businesses being targeted, and a murder toll on the cusp of 200, fear among the people is growing. Strategic security consultant Garvin Heerah, echoing the sentiments on the ground, said, “There is a fear that has taken over the land. There is a point of desperation and concern. Many have voiced whether they want to continue living in T&T or have their children grow up in this country ... it is being amplified from the bowels of the citizenry.”
Overwhelmed as they grapple with crime daily, citizens are looking to National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher and the Cabinet to ensure the maintenance of law and order and public safety so that they can feel secure and protected.
And Heerah agrees that they must play a critical role in securing the nation.
“A role that involves listening to the cries of the people, delivering on their mandate and holding themselves accountable for ensuring that the citizens feel safe and secure by the strategies, policies, laws and actions that are passed, implemented and actioned.”
The man on the street and social media users continuously voice their concerns over what they see as the Government’s failure to curb runaway crime. And the person who has particularly come under harsh criticism for this is the National Security Minister.
On Friday, the Opposition UNC moved a motion of no-confidence in Hinds’ performance as Minister of National Security, calling for his removal. They have made several calls in the past to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for him to be removed from office.
Hinds also came under heavy fire earlier this month from the public when he said that it was not his responsibility to develop a crime plan. Rather, he said, it is the responsibility of CoP and the Defence Force, which offer support to the T&T Police Service in its crime eradication drive. He had said, “A crime plan is not for me, it is for the police, and I am aware of what the police have planned and the strategies along with the Defence Force which they are operating.” He reiterated that his job was to provide law enforcement with the “policy directions” to reduce crime.
On Wednesday, Hinds received a Violent Crime Reduction plan prepared by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). The plan outlined 15 objectives that seek to drastically reduce crime and enhance police intelligence.
What exactly is the role of the National Security Minister?
Many are questioning: What exactly is the role of the National Security Minister?
Heerah, who was a former director of the National Operations Centre (critical coordinating axis linking all of the arms of National Security and executing the mandate of the National Security Council led by the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security) and director general of the National Security Training Academy, said the minister’s role was to set clearly defined directives to his heads of security. “In so doing, he must be firm in identifying timelines, objectives and hold people accountable for delivering.”
Heerah said there were several aspects of the roles and functions of the Minister of National Security necessary for success, including the citizens’ faith in the minister and his ability to deliver.
He agreed that the minister does not put a crime plan in place. “But he can question or request with strict deadlines what are the plans of the TTPS, Fire Services, TTDF, Prisons, and all arms of National Security. If a crime plan is produced it should be a product, a joint consultation and collaboration of all the arms of Nat Sec, because crime and national security involves a holistic and coordinated approach.
“The minister has to ensure that the arms of Nat Sec are meeting their targets and deliverables. If this isn’t being done, there must be decisions and actions in place to address these shortcomings. It falls back to a common quote and understanding ‘Under My Watch.’
“The trust and confidence of our citizens are very important. But this is achieved over time based on performance and satisfaction. A great deal is also measurable based on success and efficiency factors.
“The Minister of National Security must seek to communicate clearly, the measures of efficiency and achievables to ensure that public trust and confidence are received. But he can’t do this on his own, again it comes back down to the vision, the mission, the objectives and the contributions of all arms of the Ministry of National Security.”
The security expert also stated that while the roles of the CoP and that of the Minister of National Security differ, they work in tandem with each other to make the country better.
“The CoP is responsible for the TTPS, in totality. The minister is responsible for ensuring the TTPS is resourced, outfitted and funded with all the requirements, which includes manpower to do their job. He can’t tell them how to do their job, but he can question and evaluate if the job is being done to the people’s, his or the Government’s satisfaction. Both roles rely on each other for a common goal, a unified effort and a joint vision. This should be the restoration of safety and security for T&T.”
An updated public statement of the Ministry of National Security 2021 stated that ten agencies fall under the remit of the Ministry of National Security. These include the General Administration Division, the Defence Force, the Police Service, the Fire Service, the Prison Service, the Cadet Force, the Immigration Division, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, the Forensic Science Centre and the Strategic Services Agency.
What Hinds says about his role
In February 2022, Hinds, responding to criticisms from the public and the Opposition, said, “For any Minister of National Security, issues of safety, security and the well-being of all our citizens and visitors to our shores, as well as issues of natural disaster, must be paramount.”
He reiterated that the role of the Minister of National Security “does not involve operational aspects of law enforcement; that being the responsibility of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, of course, supported by other operational arms of the Ministry of National Security.”
Hinds said that among his primary responsibilities is “the articulation of government’s National Security Policy, and as well, to ensure that law enforcement agencies are properly resourced, and supported, in the fight against crime and other threats to this democracy.”
The minister reaffirmed that it was “the responsibility of the technical experts/office holders, like the Commissioner of Police, the Chief of Defence Staff, and other leaders of the State’s security architecture, as well as their personnel to treat with strategic frameworks, that guide the implementation of the Government’s policy on national security.
“These naturally are aimed at achieving optimum safety and security for, and on behalf of, all of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,” he added.
The minister said he considered “this collaborative and cooperative relationship with the operational leaders of national security, undergirded by competence, mutual respect, and integrity in public office, to be the model that will offer the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, the most effective approach to arresting the state of crime and criminality.” Hinds said then that he remained resolute in the realisation of this objective.
Former ministers weigh in
Gary Griffith
Meanwhile, former minister of national security and commissioner of police Gary Griffith also weighed in on the functions of a national security minister and said, “One of the main things involved is trying to draft proper policies to assist in national security, and that is known as anti-crime plans. Drafting of policies that are then implemented by the protective services.”
Griffith recalled his own time in the office, stating that he was able to draft and implement several policies during his tenure, as was expected of him.
He explained that this administrative function that Hinds claimed as his own was part of the requirements for a permanent secretary (PS).
The PS is known as the most senior official in the public service. PSs are responsible for the implementation of policies, which was emphasised by Griffith.
“The permanent secretary adheres to the administrative aspects of the Ministry of National Security, which is why when the Minister of National Security says that his role is just to ensure payments are made for the protective services, he’s actually going into the realm and the role and function of the permanent secretary, so the Minister of National Security feels that his job is that of a permanent secretary.
“I had to draft policies to enhance the operational capability of the law enforcement agencies, which is why under my watch, as the minister, I was able to do the draft, the National Operations Centre, the Rapid Response Unit, the training academy, the energy security initiative, the national security special operation group, which was similar to SAUTT. So, there are a number of different initiatives and policies and roles and functions of a Minister of National Security.”
Emmanuel George
According to another former minister of national security, Emmanuel George, however, the job description for the position comes directly from the Prime Minister. “When you are named a minister, the Prime Minister gives to you what your portfolio will consist of.”
Asked whether public confidence should play an important role in this minister’s job, Hinds said, “The most important person who has to have confidence in the Minister of National Security is the Prime Minister because he is the one who is solely responsible for the appointment of the Minister of National Security. And that is the only person whose confidence is important in the appointment.”
Retired Brigadier Carl Alfonso
Another former national security minister, Retired Brigadier Carl Alfonso weighed in on whether creating a crime plan fell under the minister’s purview.
He said, “The Commissioner of Police or the Police Service, in general, will come up with some sort of a crime plan, they will go to Cabinet and certainly will go to the National Security Council, of which the Minister of National Security is a part, and is headed by the Prime Minister. So, it is not a minister per se who has to come up with his crime plan.”
Like George, he also said that “The public has nothing to do with who the Prime Minister appoints. You may not like a person, but the Prime Minister decides who’s going to be his minister.”