By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE entire population of Trinidad and Tobago is living in prison says Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Speaking at the United National Congress (UNC) Monday night forum, Persad-Bissessar said no amount of burglar-proof could now protect any citizen as the crime rate continues to increase.
She asked, “Do you know how many people are in jail now?”
Persad-Bissessar paused.
She continued, “One-point-three million people. That is every one of us. We live behind the burglar bars. You talked just now about CCTV cameras and so on. They are not afraid of no cameras. When they come, they come in grops, in gangs and you are left there helpless and by the time, they leave they are dead.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “I want you to consider that. We think about the crimes and the criminals and the persons in jail when everybody in this country is living behind bars because of the incompetence of this government.”
The UNC leader said government, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds remained clueless, hopeless and helpless in protecting citizens.
“This is a grim record of shame that must be bolted securely to the chest of Keith Rowley,” Persad-Bissessar declared.
She spoke about the murder at Starbucks in Cunupia saying that due to its international status, persons all over the world will be reading about that murder incident and Trinidad and Tobago was already on a level three travel alert from the US.
All will have a negative impact on foreign direct investment in the country Persad-Bissesar said.
She again repeated her statements that the Government was focusing on those with legal guns while the criminals with illegal guns were carrying out their assassinations in broad daylight in crowded spaces, not bothered by security guards or CCTV cameras.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Rowley and Hinds wants to convince us that if they disarm law-abiding citizens, murders will go down… What you should be doing is to look where the illegal guns are, how they are coming in, deal with the illegal guns.”
To Kamla and the UNC, they had the opportunity to to continue to make the country safe from 2015, but they were too full of themselves and lost the 2015/20 General Election. Can the UNC make this country a safer place……. The some and one word answer is….. NO