By Chantalé Fletcher
PEOPLE have gone berserk in attempting to make money out of the scrap iron business.
“We don’t make steel here but we were exporting steel in this big industry to the point where our very existence was being threatened and it became a National security issue,” said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Tuesday night at the Belmont Community Centre during a political meeting of the PNM.
He said there was even the theft of a security gate a Caroni which secured millions of dollars in aviation fuel.
Dr Rowley said, “Persons were also stealing items in the fields at Heritage (Petroleum) , pumps, compressors, and cutting water lines. What is the Government supposed to do? Say well. You’re making an honest living and shut the country down. There are items of steel in this country where one spanner turning one knot, draining out oil from a transformer could shut this country down.”
The PM added it was impossible to have policemen at everybody’s fence to prevent the theft of the poles, at every manhole cover and T&TEC pole to prevent those who stole cables.
He said, “We have 7,000 policemen in this country, 6,500 following murderers who killing you everyday and you will find how much to go and look at manhole cover, that is what is going in this country.”
Dr Rowely added, ‘The real problem is families who know that members of their families are engaged in serious criminal conduct and are not applying the standards we expect.
“If you know a member of our family have afforded themselves firearms and they go out at night after they slept whole day, and they come back with money with name not under someone payroll, and they can pay lawyers how much hundred thousand when police hold them, you know that you are encouraging murders in your and ranks, in your bed, in your house.”
He said, “There are too many people in this country who have chosen crime as a way of life and living and we have to get away from that, because if you know who has the gun and the police don’t know, then who are you protecting? And if you take money from your children who bring money to you when they now that you know that they are engaged in violent crime including murder.
“What is the role of the prime minister?” A Government will do what the Government will do, but this is going to be one hell of a long haul as long as you are doing what you are doing and not doing what you should be doing.”
He recalled a newspaper ad showing Assault weapons were being offered for sale in the newspaper.
