The ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) both believe that municipal police have a greater role to play in the fight against crime.
But while one party is proposing legislative change, the other believes that all that is necessary is for Local Government bodies to be given more police officers and necessary training.
The PNM’s policy document on Local Government reform has already been approved by the Cabinet and form the basis for legislation to be brought to Parliament by mid-2017. In the document the Government stated that the scourge in crime had no political boundaries and suggested that a structured multi-pronged approach was necessary to deal with the issue.
The Government is committing to expand the Police Service with a maximum of 100 municipal officers in each of the nine municipalities. This will come with a corresponding expansion in their responsibilities.
According to the document, Constitutional changes would be required. Currently municipal police officers are appointed by the Public Service Commission. These officers, according to the policy document, should really be under the remit of the Police Service Commission. This would require an amendment to part six of the Constitution with a special majority of two thirds votes of the Parliament.
Government also wants to bring municipal police under the ambit of the Police Complaints Authority. Amending the Police Complaints Authority Act requires a three-fifths special majority.
Both changes therefore require Opposition support. But Government said it was committed to working with all sectors of the national community whose desire was to arrest and significantly reduce the incidents of crime and criminal activity in T&T..
The UNC for its part believes that the Government has failed to curb the alarming crime rate and communities are under attack.
In its manifesto the party argued that Local Government bodies could assist with dealing with the crime problem by working in collaboration with the T&T Police Service.
It said the mandate of municipal police currently deals mainly with littering, vending on the streets, maintenance of order in markets and providing security services for Local Government bodies.
The UNC has suggested that the role of municipal police should be expanded to include community policing, traffic control in cities, boroughs and towns, investigating and prosecuting the ill-treatment of and neglect of children, enforcement of the Praedial Larceny Act and collaboration with communities to support neighbourhood watch programmes.