National Security Minister Edmund Dillon says the T&T Coast Guard has an integral role to play in the fight against crime. He was speaking during his address at the T&T Coast Guard passing out parade for the 52nd recruit intake at the Heliport Training Facility, Chaguaramas, on Saturday.
“Crime is the number one issue and the T&T Coast Guard has a key support role in the crime fighting arsenal.
“Our borders require stringent protection, which is why the Coast Guard’s maritime presence must be a dominant force, acting as a deterrent to any illegal and criminal entry of persons or items through our maritime space.
“In the fight against crime and criminality the most important resource of any organisation is its people.
“You are an asset far more important than any piece of equipment in the artillery, even the recently acquired state-of-the-art TTS Nelson 11 and the TTS Quinam, because, without you no vessel works on its own,” Dillon said.
He said T&T’s porous borders were a major source of the proliferation of not only illegal guns but illegal drugs, which were both primary drivers of crime in the country.
Dillon said that was why securing the country’s maritime boundaries as part of its overall border security strategy was of such great importance to the people. He said the Coast Guard faced the enormous responsibility of protecting approximately 280 kilometres of coastline around T&T, 180 kilometres of coastline around Tobago and 91 possible ports of entry along these coastlines.
Dillon also highlighted some of the strategic cooperation initiatives undertaken in collaboration with T&T’s regional and international counterparts. He said the Government of T&T had engaged the Government of Venezuela on strategic cooperative initiatives in the area of maritime security consistent with the agenda against cross-border crimes.
Dillon said a decision was also taken to re-establish “VenTri” joint naval exercises between both T&T and Venezuela.
He said additionally the Government had recently approved the assignment of a Coast Guard officer to act as a liaison officer to the Joint Interagency Task Force, Southern Command in Key West, Florida further bolstering US-T&T security relations as relates to maritime protection. Dillon said if these mechanisms were successfully executed it would no doubt lead to less porous national borders and fewer guns on the nation’s streets, thereby leading to a reduction in firearm-related homicides and resulting in a better quality of life for all citizens of T&T.