Crime down by 60%; Kamla praises security personnel, slams critics and opposition

Statistics showing homicide reduction:

Period	2011	2010
January 1, to October 31,	302	400
August 21 to October 31,	35	70
Month of October	13	32
Month of November	1	20

Statistics provided Monday by the Protective Services show a dramatic decrease in serious crime in Trinidad & Tobago of more than 60 per cent during the period of the state of emergency and curfew, with an even higher percentage decrease in gang-related killings.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised the law enforcement officers Monday for their "historic" battle against crime.

"We waged a war unlike anything seen before and every single soldier and law enforcement officer, and policeman gave it their all.

"If ever there were a doubt about the commitment of our protective services, the effort they displayed and the results recorded speak for themselves. Trinidad and Tobago salutes them all," she said.

She credited them with taking the nation from "the brink of disorder and chaos" and restoring law and order while making sure that democracy was protected.

"At the end of it all, the weaponry, drugs and criminals that were removed in the last two and a half months had not been achieved in several years of anti-crime efforts before now," Persad-Bissessar added.

With respect to statistics, the Prime Minister said they tell a story of success. She noted that one month before the declaration of the emergency in August, there were 46 homicides compared to the 18 for the same period following the emergency declaration and curfew.

She said that was a reduction of just over 60 per cent. "Gang related homicides were reduced by an even higher percentage," she added.

"Measured against the same period, there was a reduction of just over 51% in serious crimes such as robbery with aggravation, house breaking and rape.

"The period showed a decrease of just over 73% in motor vehicle larceny. And this is of particular significance since motor vehicle larceny is considered the initial stages of a crime event cycle that leads to more serious crimes," she said.

The Prime Minister promised to provide all statistics governing the period of the State of Emergency "in due course to give the overall picture."

She also took the opportunity to slam those who denounced the emergency and suggested that it was not needed, calling their views "patently mischievous".

She said, "I have heard a few political commentators suggest that there was no need for a State Of Emergency, and that the existing laws and security forces could have been used to do the same thing that was done during the state of emergency. This is absolutely wrong and patently mischievous."

She also took aim at the opposition, which she said "refuses to work with the Government in the National Interest and apparently prefers instead to snipe and mislead citizens for narrow partisan reasons, even when the truth is already in the public domain."

She added, "At a time when the Nation was crying out for a united assault on crime, the Opposition politicians failed miserably to rise to the defence of the citizenry against a marauding criminal force."

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