By Sue-Ann Wayow

EVERY criminal in Trinidad and Tobago has access to multiple firearms, says former Opposition Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial.

With a government that has failed to ensure border protection, the influx of guns into the country was alarming, coupled with the low detection rate of actual perpetrators, she said.

Lutchmedial, on Sunday spoke at a breakfast forum hosted by United National Congress (UNC) candidate for San Fernando West Dr Michael Dowlath.

The event was held at Achievers Hall, Duncan Village, San Fernando.

She said, “One of the things that people have raised in the business community particularly has been the challenges with accessing legal firearms.”

Lutchmedial admitted it was a “hot and sensitive topic” because of varying views.

“The number of illegal firearms we have in our street right now is overwhelming and I get that all the time from members of the TTPS. They tell me all the time, that there are just simply so many illegal guns out there. If you make an arrest today, and you retrieve one illegal firearm, you know within that group of people that you might be targeting, there are hundreds more,” she said.

“Nobody even knows, nobody even have an idea of the number of illegal firearms out there and that is why you see the explosion of gun violence.”

Lutchmedial said there was a time whenever a perpetrator used a gun during robbery, it was unusual, now it was the most common weapon used in any criminal activity.

“Now every criminal has access to multiple firearms,” she said.

She said business that operate mainly with cash were especially concerned.

Former deputy commissioner of police Deodath Doolarchan had a suggestion.

Speaking during the interactive session, Doolarchan, one of the attendees said, “I want to stand here and say the time has come where we need to remove the responsibility of  issuing firearms from the Commissioner of Police. Remove it once and for all.”

He said the Commissioner of Police desk was too busy for him to even acknowledge  receipt of a Firearm User’s Licence (FUL) application.

Doolarchan said, “I am saying, we take away that from him and you will probably have what I will describe, I mean you all will find a proper term where you have a board to approve FUL applications. Something just akin to the Appeal Board and I believe that will go a long way. It will remove all the nonsense surrounding the granting of FUL applications.”

Lutchmedial, during her presentation also lamented about the lack of innovative ways of fighting crime in the 21st century.

She said police still depended on eyewitnesses to give evidence when closed-circuit television cameras should be operational throughout the country.

This in addition to having a modernised forensic sciences centre, a centre promised in 2018, and signed for in 2023.

“To date, that centre has not commenced,” Lutchmedial said.

In, 2018, then national security minister Stuart Young said $10 million was received from China to begin the first phase of a new state-of-the-art DNA and forensic science centre.

In December 2023, former minister off national security Fitzgerald Hinds signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Fang Qiu for the funding and construction of the Centre with the proposed location being Farm Road, St Joseph.

Hinds said the agreement was for the centre to be built within 18 months however, he was hopeful that it could have taken a shorter time to be completed.

Also speaking at the breakfast forum were UNC candidate for Oropouche West Dr Lackram Bodoe and UNC candidate for San Fernando East John Alibocus.