Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
Performing the annual Carnival walkabout in the capital city for the last time as Minister of National Security yesterday, Fitzgerald Hinds said the last rodeo had left him happy and proud.
Speaking with reporters as the security contingent crossed the downtown judging point at South Quay, Port-of-Spain, just before 9 am, Hinds said the walk clearly demonstrated “the law enforcement platform is united.”
Declaring, “it is strong and almost omnipresent,” he said this had been echoed by both locals and visitors throughout the festivities.
Regarding the efforts by thousands of law enforcement personnel who provided security and protection across both islands during Carnival 2025, Hinds said, “We are quite proud and pleased, representing T&T, to have put in place a security apparatus that makes them, as they are attesting to, feel very, very comfortable.”
Acknowledging there is crime everywhere, he credited the collaborative approach by all arms of law enforcement as being responsible for the success.
This included the T&T Police Service (TTPS); the T&T Fire Service (TTFS); the Prison Service; the Immigration Division; the Licensing Division; the Coast Guard; and the T&T Defence Force (TTDF).
Acknowledging yesterday was his last stint as a political figurehead conducting such an exercise, Hinds said it was still a moving goalpost.
“The business of crime, criminality and lawlessness are very human conditions and once human beings are involved, all things are possible,” Hinds said.
He described the ongoing State of Emergency (SoE) as a well-designed and crafted activity designed to affect the criminal community.
He praised all involved as he said, “I am particularly proud that we seem to have struck, we have seemed to have found a very wonderful, well-oiled formula.”
He said the public feedback was positive testament that security initiatives were working, noting many criminals had fled T&T, “to get out of the view of Mr Benjamin and his teams.”
Asked if he would be recommending an extension of the SoE, Hinds explained that its implementation could only be effected by the President on the advice of the Cabinet.
“I am not the Cabinet,” he stated.
On the performance of acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) Junior Benjamin, who celebrates one month in the post today, Hinds said, “I am not the one to assess the performance of the Commissioner per se. It is a matter for the Service Commission, you have to understand that. But as for me as Minister of National Security, I have found a consummate professional, very serious and very focused on his work and that is as much as we can ask.”
He said Benjamin had upheld and embodied the laws of T&T as set out in the Constitution.
“I am quite happy with what I have seen in this regard to date,” Hinds said.
He too noted the increased police presence generally, which he admitted had not come about by happenstance but due to strategies, techniques and the efforts of Benjamin and his executive.
Acting CoP: Record number of officers out this year
Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin says a record number of officers were out for Carnival 2025 and they were able to execute their plans.
“We are grateful there have been no untoward incidents except for that situation we are investigating,” Benajmin said yesterday morning.
The incident he was referring to at the time was the death of Selwyn Little, who was crushed to death by a music truck in San Fernando on Monday.
Hours later, however, the Carnival celebrations in Port-of-Spain were marred by a shooting incident in St James which claimed one life and injured three others.
Admitting they had recorded minor incidents during the Carnival celebrations up to yesterday morning, Benjamin assured, “All in all, we can say that right now, persons are feeling free. We have a high visibility of individuals and police officers out.”
He added, “We have more officers out, probably more than we ever had in the last couple years, so it means that our strategies are working. We have persons at all the choke points so persons can feel safe.”
He estimated that between 70 and 80 per cent of officers had reported for duty during the Carnival season.
With a 33 per cent decline in homicides and 30 fewer murders since the year began, compared to the same period last year, Benjamin said officers were busy working to resolve as many cases as possible and assured they “will continue to push.”
He said they were still not satisfied with the murder toll but was confident the SoE would help them to push things in a “positive direction.”