Ramesh: Protection good for rich and not the poor?

Source: Trinidad Express

Ria Taitt Political Editor

Tuesday, January 15th 2008


MAKING HIS POINT: Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj at a recent meeting at the Macaulay Community Centre, Claxton Bay. -Photo: TREVOR HACKETT

Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj yesterday described as "laughable and discriminatory", statements by Works Minister Colm Imbert that his plan to use private security to assist in the protection of communities was vigilantism.

Maharaj asked why Imbert did not make the same accusation against the "gated communities of PoS", who use the same private security guards. (Well it's obvious the PNM doesn't care about the poor people. Once yuh poor yuh have no rights under the PNM.)

"Is he saying that poor people cannot be treated in the same way as the rich and that they must be unprotected and defenceless against rapists and murderers?" Maharaj asked. (That is exactly what he is saying!)

Maharaj said the Government also used private security guards for its ministries, State corporations and to provide protection to public officers.

"As a fact, the Government retains a private security company - Amalgamated Security - for its prisons and prison vans."

He said private companies such as bpTT use "the same kind of guards" being utilised to protect the people in Macaulay.

"Diplomats, the banks, the Guardian, the Express... all use private security. So I do not understand why there should be a different interpretation and category when poor people in Macaulay, who cannot get police protection, are getting the same security guards who have precepts from the Commissioner of Police and who have the powers of arrest and who perform the same function that the guards perform for bpTT, the Government, the prisons...," he said. (I think the reason Colm Impsbert have a problem with this is because he knows the M.O. of the criminals/potential PNM voters. These PNMites will think twice before attacking the rich and mighty who live in the posh areas of West Trinidad. The PNMites will attack the middle class citizens who live in South and Central Trinidad so basically if they are now protected, it is taking away from the "livelihood" of these criminals and it also means that there is a higher chance of criminals, aka PNMites, being caught or killed. This would mean less votes for the PNM in the long run.)

Maharaj said the issue Imbert should be addressing was why Government could not provide security for the people who pay taxes. He said both the Government and the police (who are also against the proposal) were embarrassed.

Maharaj said the Supplemental Police Service Act provided for estate police and rural police, and under Section 14 of the act, the estate police had all the powers of the members of the police service.

Maharaj said Macaulay Fund was a pilot project, funded by Chaguanas MP Jack Warner, with "a little assistance" from him. But he stressed the UNC-A planned to establish a national fund to which nationals would be able to contribute, which would be used to fund a security service for any area of the country- PNM or UNC-A areas.

Now the police not doing their job, which includes protecting and serving the public, which I think is clearly defined in their motto. The police being paid a nice, fat salary every month to do this job and yet so many people are being killed, raped, kidnapped and robbed. What else is there left to do? If the Supplemental Police Service Act allows the estate police to have the same powers as members of the police service then what is the PNM making all this noise about? They should be glad that private citizens are helping them fight crime, but no, they are concerned for the safety of the criminals/potential PNM voters. What if a criminal got shot? What if a criminal got injured? What if a criminal got arrested? What if a criminal got killed with somebody's refrigerator stuffed down their drawers?