00:00 The fatal shooting last week outside the Gloucester Lodge Moverian Primary School in Gonzales
00:07 prompted the police to take action, and there has been increased patrols in the surrounding
00:12 areas. However, President of the NPTA Walter Stewart has a concern.
00:18 I did read the report, Senior Superintendent Ram Narain, in the meeting, I think it was
00:26 on Tuesday, with the principals of East Port of Spain in particular, and of course his
00:31 stance on static and moving patrols within the Belmont area. And of course, let us look
00:38 at that situation two months from today, three months from today, four months from today.
00:43 Is that sustainable? Would that situation prevail going forward?
00:49 Mr. Stewart is suggesting that systems related to intelligence gathering and crime prevention
00:55 be put in place. He notes the critical importance of camera systems.
01:02 Surveillance cameras being controlled by the command centre in the perimeters of our schools.
01:07 That incident, for example, at Gloucester Lodge, if there were surveillance cameras
01:12 set up and command centre had direct access to that, of course, the APB, for example,
01:20 or some other mechanism involving the TDPS would have been able to apprehend almost immediately.
01:25 He also stresses the significant role school safety officers play on a daily basis. Stewart
01:31 also notes with concern the delay in renewing contracts for these officers.
01:37 The role of the school safety officer is really one of safety, tranquility and discipline
01:44 of the schools. And if we have safety officers who are so tasked, who are so charged with
01:48 that responsibility, it beckons that, of course, their responsibility and the jobs that they
01:54 perform should be dealt with at the highest level to ensure that at all material times
02:01 there are adequate safety officers on the premises and within the perimeters of our
02:06 schools.
02:07 Nicole M Romany, TV6 News.
02:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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