Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander is defending the use of Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs), insisting they are not politically motivated but based on intelligence and a rigorous legal review process.
He also sought to assure the public that no Government Minister can initiate a PDO against any individual.
“This is not a political thing. It’s not a political thing. I don’t know why people think it, and I am somewhat embarrassed by that.”
Minister Alexander explained that each PDO is initiated through intelligence gathered by security agencies and undergoes several levels of independent legal review before reaching the Minister for his signature.
“It’s an investigation that takes place by different agencies. Intelligence agencies. And from there, information is gathered and there’s a series of things, you know. The intelligence comes to the legal officers at the TTPS. The legal officers now will send it to an outside legal agency. That legal agency will now send it to a legal source from the Homeland Security, and then it comes to my desk. I look at it with the information that is on it and I place my signature and hand it back to the police.”
He urged citizens to uphold the rule of law, saying respect for authority begins at home and plays a critical role in maintaining public order and reducing crime.
“Respect the rule of law. If you do it, if you start with it at home as a parent you will see your sons and daughters growing up, respecting that. But when you as a citizen, or you as a society, or you as a country, start to pull away from that type of respect for authority, then what you expect to happen in the streets?”
Highlighting the series of crimes in Tobago, he noted that every murder and shooting remains a concern for the Ministry of Homeland Security.
“That is why we are pushing certain initiatives. We are waiting. Everybody was talking about crime plan. Remember when they were asking about crime plan? But I am not one of them who likes to come out and tell you it have roadblock on Friday and everybody stays home. A crime plan begins at home. A crime plan begins in your constituency. Just like you see what just happened here. You could imagine 300 young ladies who want to stay away from a life of crime because they intend to have a positive life. How does that fit in in the crime plan?”
Minister Alexander was speaking to members of the media following the graduation ceremony of over 200 ladies enrolled in a hairdressing course in his constituency.