President Anthony Carmona, right, looks on as Prime Minister Keith Rowley congratulates the newest addition to the Ministry of National Security, Glenda Jennings-Smith, during a ceremony at the Office of the President, St Ann’s, yesterday.
To combat the brazenness of criminals and to suppress criminal activity, three politicians are necessary to manage the vast resources of the National Security Ministry, says Prime Minister Keith Rowley.
Speaking at an Housing Development Corporation key-distribution ceremony at HDC head office, South Quay, Port-of-Spain, Rowley said he was confused and surprised over the criticism of his decision to appoint Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses as a Minister in the Ministry of National Security and Glenda Jennings-Smith as its Parliamentary Secretary as the objective was to get on top of the crime problem.
Twenty residents of Marcano Quarry housing community were relocated to the Oropune Gardens, Piarco.
The Prime Minister said the objective of the changes was for the Government to get on top of the crime problem, adding that it must be sustained. He said there was “no switch that you flick and get it done.
“There are a number of things that have to be done and that is why there are two ministers and a parliamentary secretary aiming to do all of these things at once.”
At Jennings- Smith’s swearing-in ceremony, Rowley said the three-member team “should give us probably the best chance we have to respond effectively to the criminal element and bring to the public the kind of comfort and safety they deserve.”
Saying crime is the People’s National Movement’s number one problem, Rowley said Government clearly understood that if it could not provide safety and security in homes, communities and on the streets, “whatever else we provide at government level will fall flat.”
Rowley said Jennings-Smith had left the Police Service not too long ago. He said when she was chosen as the candidate, critics felt it was improper for her to “go up” but he said her skills were an opportunity “for us to offer the Police Service, management and guidance from the political directorate and executive in a way the Police Service has not had for quite some time.”
Apart from knowing the Police Service “inside out,” the PM said Jennings-Smith was highly trained in criminology, specialising in anti-gang work and had also worked with communities.
With her appointment, Rowley said the top of the structure Government was implementing to respond on crime — human resources — was now in place and Government would continue to supply human resources, physical and financial resources to deal with law and order preservation.
Noting concerns on Moses’ appointment, he said while Moses was not well known, he was very experienced, with much training, international links, of sound temperament and well prepared for
the assignment.
Moses, a career diplomat, was appointed last week to assist substantive National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, retired Major General of the Defence Force, and Sangre Grande MP Glenda Jennings-Smith, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, was appointed as a Parliamentary Secretary, to assist Dillon.
Rowley yesterday defined the roles of the three politicians in the ministry.
The Prime Minister said Moses, who is also the Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister, would be responsible for “administrative-type” matters, such as immigration and work permits, while Jennings-Smith will be responsible for matters relating to the anti-gang legislation and other social programmes, such as youth camps.
Rowley said there have been several National Security Council meetings aimed at establishing “a national security response that is up to and surpasses the criminal element in T&T.”
He said Moses’ presence would “free up” Dillon “to deal with the programme of operational response and preparing the units to respond in every place in Tobago and Trinidad.”
Rowley later told reporters she would also handle some of Government’s outreach programmes so the work was distributed in a way to get the best results.
Ready to work hard
Jennings-Smith, who retired as Assistant Police Commissioner after 25 years, holds a Master’s Degree in applied criminology and police management from Cambridge University, UK, and completed studies in public administration and social work at UWI.
She told reporters: “I’m no stranger to hard work… there’s a lot to be done… the murder rate is already beyond 44 for January. I bring a lot of competence coming from the TTPS which I will use to my benefit in eradicating crime.” The murder toll stood at 48 yesterday.
Dillon said he would meet today with Moses and Jennings-Smith to get down to work. He said the public would see the kind of experience Moses and Jennings-Smith would bring, encompassing international and domestic aspects.
“You’re looking at 70 years’ experience in policing just between Mrs Jennings-Smith and myself, so you will have a strong impact on the security environment. We will have a collective approach in national security issues. This is going to be a strong team based on collective experience of each of us,” he added.
Dillon, in debunking perception that the addition of Moses and Jennings-Smith was a strike on his competence, said:
“Not at all. In treating with security environments there’s no one person or entity that can deal with all issues. The entire country has to play a part. I welcome the additional members of this team.”
Jennings-Smith took the oath of office yesterday in the presence of her husband, Sylbert, daughter Cherisse, her mother, Rita Jennings, and a friend, Fitzlaurence Waldron.