00:00Former police commissioner and former National Security Minister Gary Griffith is raising concerns over Cabinet's approval of an additional $200
00:09million in police overtime expenditure without first conducting an audit of the existing spending.
00:16He argues that the decision demands greater scrutiny, particularly amid what he says is a significant decline in visible police
00:25presence.
00:26So when the prime minister says they deserve it, prime minister, oh, for God's sake, I support you, I believe
00:32in you. You didn't even do an audit. You didn't even check.
00:34So if my point being, when would the height of foolishness stop? $800 million this year. If next year Rivera
00:41says it's $2 billion, you will just say yes, they deserve it.
00:44If the following year they say $5 billion, you'll say they deserve it. No, you're supposed to micromanage. You're supposed
00:49to say, let us do an audit and see if what Gary's saying is true.
00:52Griffith is also taking issue with the prime minister's reported position that special police operations will not be conducted in
00:59PNM areas, following concerns raised by the opposition.
01:04She understands the point that you are prime minister for a cool country. Do not be pressured or intimidated by
01:09those in opposition because they have a concern about it.
01:12To turn a blind eye and say that we are not going to do it in opposition areas. Let me
01:16tell you what that is going to cause.
01:17First, remember that you have probably about 20 to 30 percent of UNC supporters in those opposition areas.
01:23So if it is that you only do it with UNC supporters, what about those, sorry, and you do that
01:29in the PNM areas now where you have UNC supporters in Dingo Martin, Karanash, Pity Valley, Port of Spain and
01:35so forth.
01:36You are now affecting them.
01:37Speaking on the morning edition, he warns that withdrawing or limiting special operations on that basis could give criminal elements
01:45greater room to operate.
01:47If you only focus on those specific areas, what is going to happen is that the other areas now, you
01:53embolden them.
01:54You will now allow the criminal elements now to be able to build their beasts and now they will actually
01:59now attack persons in your UNC heartland areas.
02:03And three, as it pertains to operational capability, you have to go in the belly of the beast.
02:07For you to deal with crime, you have to deal with it specifically.
02:11Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
02:16,
02:17,
02:17,
02:17,
02:17,
02:17,
02:17,
02:18,
02:18,
