Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) are once again at the centre of the government’s anti-crime fighting strategy following Thursday’s recent triple murder in Belmont.
Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, along with Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge, defended the use of ZOSOs in Parliament on Friday, saying they are a necessary tool to restore order in violent communities, and that residents are demanding stronger intervention.
Responding to questions on the Government’s efforts to protect citizens following the triple murder in Belmont, Minister Alexander said: “When these things happen, I traverse the area and have conversations with persons, and at this time they are highly annoyed because they wanted what we wanted to give to them, which is a Zone of Special Operations.”
Minister Alexander added that law enforcement activity has increased since the shooting.
“The increase in patrols, intelligence gathering, identification of persons who committed the offence, and persons are now hiding from the law enforcement officers. However, Mr. Speaker, again, everything will be done to protect the citizens, even those in Laventille, as they call upon us to represent them in a different type of way.”
The Minister also warned against treating crime as a constituency-by-constituency issue, adding that police resources were already stretched on the morning of the Belmont killing because of a major security operation elsewhere.
“There are persons who’s moving out of their constituency and into other persons’ constituency. On the morning that this took place, there was a very upscale operation taking place in the Oropune police district and we had to move resources from one place to another.”
Defence Minister Wayne Sturge rejected calls for his and Minister Alexander’s resignations, pointing the finger at the MP for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West.
“But has the gall, when 11 murders take place under his watch in one day, has the gall to come and call for the resignations on this side. And you know what? What he’s not saying is that his constituents are largely responsible for the most murders in this country. And they don’t want ZOSO, they don’t want ZOSO. But the people begging for ZOSO.”
Minister Alexander, meanwhile, laid blame squarely on previous administrations, citing what he described as decades of neglect that continue to affect policing capacity, saying, “You know what Mr. Speaker, I am here and I will fix it all.”