ROGER Alexander, UNC candidate for Tunapuna in the April 28 general election, roundly condemned the fatal shooting of a man at Piarco International Airport on April 17 who had just landed on a flight.
The retired police senior superintendent was addressing a UNC community meeting at Hillview College, Tunapuna, on April 17, also attended by UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
"Did you know today, as I stand here, a man was shot and killed in the airport this morning? The airport ought to be a sanctuary. It is where our leaders land and our leaders leave.
"But today it was a crime scene."
He condemned those who led the Ministry of National Security, in light of the shooting.
Alexander said, "Under the UNC that cannot happen.
"How can you (government) be thinking and not put proper legislation and policies in place to protect your domestic airport? How? It is the first place where terrorism might want to raise its ugly head.
"But it is exposed. I heard this morning people were running left, right and centre, hiding. And nobody was there to defend our nation.
"At least let the international community see that even if you think of it and you start it, it must be put down immediately."
Seemingly sarcastically, he said, "But again they (the government) have a softer side of dealing with things, so we wait. We wait."
Alexander asked the audiences if any of them had ever applied for a firearm user's licence (FUL).
"How many years now you have been in waiting? About nine? We need to give citizens an opportunity to defend themselves"
He called for proper legislation to combat home invasion.
"How can a man break your security, enter your home and feel he can do you what he wants to?" He said a future UNC government would address that on the very next day after taking office.
Alexander lamented how rampant the extortion of businesses was in Tunapuna, a place he dubbed "the home of persons demanding money for nothing."
"They did not contribute to the opening of your business but they certainly will contribute to the closing of it. Extortion has reared its ugly head all over Tunapuna until some persons have become very silent.
"Under the UNC, you will not see that type of behaviour.
"You will not see persons walking the street with their AR (automatic rifle) exposed (nor) the disappearance of persons."
He said there existed ways to curb gangs and said a UNC government would cut rime considerably. To get a FUL, he promised a new system would be both more timely and more stringent than the present system.
Alexander said crime fighting was not rocket science, if one was "on the ground." Recalling his talks with Persad-Bissessar, he said she had lamented trained officers leaving the Defence Force at age 45.
He said, "All we have to do is take those persons and incorporate them into the border security. They are already trained."
Alexander also wanted a greater role for SRPs.
"I just left (the police service). I could tell you what is working and what is not."
He lamented the inexplicable
