Joel Julien
"Safety and prosperity". These are the two things that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley wishes for the country for Christmas.
And Rowley said his Government was working "very hard" to make those wishes come true.
Rowley made the statement yesterday as he spoke to members of the media following a children's Christmas party at the Diego Martin South recreational ground.
"I wish the country two things—one, safety and two, prosperity. If we get those two things everything else will be alright," Rowley said.
"So hopefully, we are working very hard on trying to improve the level of safety and security, working toward people feeling more and more safe and we are beginning to see some improvement in respect to the response and the success of the police," he said.
Rowley said the Police Services' information gathering was definitely improving and there is more cooperation among the security agencies.
"I anticipate that in 2018 the security services will be more successful in managing," Rowley said.
However, apart from the law enforcement agencies, Rowley said he would really like parents to help more in the fight against crime.
"Because there is no person who can talk to a person more than a family member and if a lot of parents and uncles and aunts and neighbours can get into the act talking to people who choose crime as a way of life that would help along the way," Rowley said,
Rowley said he was distressed to see recent situation of the security agencies having to engage in a shoot out with a 15-year-old bandit.
During that incident Isaac Simmons was shot dead while PC Anand Ram was injured.
"The whole idea of a 15 year old wanting to engage the police tells me that something was not right with how he saw himself as a child and why would a 15 year old want to think that he could engage the police," Rowley said.
"It is not just a question of locking them up after they commit the crime or killing them when they engage you, there is something that is missing and it has to be what goes into those children at the very beginning and how they are brought up. How they see others, how they see life, who they respect, what is authority and what do they want out of themselves in life.
"I think we need to call the parents and community towards some role in this."