The government proposes that the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, the Army, be given the same powers of arrest as the police now has. Why? Why can't the police just do their job? Soldiers are professional killers, we have a bad enough time dealing with police officers who don't know how to interact with the public and now you want to put soldiers who only know how to take orders? I don't agree with this as a solution to the crime problem in T&T.
What I don't get is: Are they going to train these soldiers? Is Trinidad going to become a military sort of country like those you see in central America? Let me tell you, I am not impressed, it shouldn't take a couple of weeks to get trained as a police officer, who is going to pay for all this and who is going to ensure the training is taking place in the right way?
From what I heard the Attorney General say it will be only:
* Be selected army personnel and not the whole army
* They will be trained just as special reserve police officers are (SRPO)
What people still do not understand is who they are are answerable too when acting in that capacity since they are not civilians.
According to the acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, the month of March saw the fewest murders in any month for the past six years and he said this success it's because of the use of soldiers with police officers in joint patrols. Source 7
Do you agree?
Now is attorney general Anand Ramlogan who is looking for support to support legislation to give soldiers police powers.