(Trinidad Guardian) British High Commissioner Arthur Snell believes that there isn’t a crime problem in T&T that can’t be fixed with British expertise. He was speaking at his Maraval residence on Monday to members of 25 British companies and several local companies seeking contracts to provide security services for the Government’s anti-crime plan.
The security trade mission was hosted by the British High Commission through the UK Trade and Investment and the Defence and Security Organisation. “I don’t think, genuinely, there is a single security problem that this country faces that can’t be fixed, and more importantly those problems can be fixed by people who are here tonight,” Snell said.
“We have the capability and the UK’s leadership role in security in the broadest terms is so well established—I just ask you to think about the London Olympics, which was a massive logistical and security challenge, and it went off without a hitch. “The UK armed forces are known throughout the world for their professionalism. UK policing is very highly rated. We’re very lucky in the UK has some of the lowest crime rates in living memory.”
Snell told the audience, replete with military representatives, that when they looked around at his residence, they could see the 14-foot high perimeter fence and razor wire, but not the hidden security measures his family lives with along with the citizens of T&T. He said everyone in T&T ranked crime and security as their number one concern.
He said there was a considerable need to combat crime aggressively and it was expressed to the delegation in very clear and stark terms when they met with National Security Minister Jack Warner and other security and military personnel earlier that day. British defence attache to the Caribbean, Lieut Col Christopher Gunning said English bobbies (police) normally didn’t carry guns and it would take a culture change in T&T to have no-gun policing by consent.
Programme manager of New Century 2001 Col Richard Westley believes his company can assist with the planning and sharing of information that could create an organisation that can dismantle the criminal networks and give power and quality of life back to the people of T&T.
