Prime Minister Patrick Manning and National Security Minister Martin Joseph were forced to defend the high tech radar system at the weekend saying that it was up and running.
The PNM held its first general council meeting for the year at Balisier House, Port of Spain following which party chairman John Donaldson briefed the media on what was discussed at the meeting.
He did not mention crime, but asked if the pressing situation was discussed, Donaldson said: "The issue of crime was very indirectly touched upon on when someone raised concern about a report of the radar system".
He said both Manning and Joseph put fears to rest saying that the radar was functioning and in fact Manning pointed out that the radar was responsible for one of the largest drug interdictions.
On January 11, the Express in an exclusive report revealed that the radar system atop the San Fernando Hill had not been functioning for three months.
It was also reported that technicians trained by Israelis repaired the radar earlier this month.
The radar is part of the Advanced Coastal Surveillance Radar (ACSR) system bought from Israel's Aircraft Industries Limited, at a cost of more than $130 million.
Manning and Joseph have often spoken about the 360-degree radar coverage being crucial in stopping the flood of illegal guns and drugs fuelling many of the violent crimes in the country.
The radar had helped Coast Guard and Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau officers make several drug busts in the Gulf since it began operating in 2006.The radar is also capable of detecting and tracking boats as small as fishing pirogues, as well as being able to follow the target, provide real-time updates on its location, direction and speed.
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