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00:00:00Very good morning Trinidad and Tobago.
00:00:16I'm Urvashi Tomari Ruknarain.
00:00:17It's my pleasure to be joining you this morning.
00:00:20So I've just got a couple more days with you here on The Morning Edition.
00:00:25It's of course July 10th.
00:00:27Thank you so much for joining us.
00:00:28Marlon will be back next week, Monday, and I could get my late o'clock sleeps.
00:00:33I know a lot of moms in particular look forward to the August vacation because they don't
00:00:39have to wake up the usual four o'clock, five o'clock, they can get an hour or two extra
00:00:44and that is so refreshing actually to not have an alarm wake you up and to be allowed
00:00:50to wake up on your own.
00:00:53So what's happening?
00:00:54What's happening in Trinidad and Tobago?
00:00:56Well, let's find out.
00:00:57We go straight to the front pages of the Express newspaper.
00:01:02PM unveils new fighting strategies as TNT's murder toll crosses 300.
00:01:09Trini cops for Tobago.
00:01:10Policing effort is not as sharp as it should be, largely because of the general maxim of
00:01:16familiarity breeds contempt.
00:01:19Now interestingly, I actually thought that we already sent Trini cops across in Tobago.
00:01:25Of course, in our news update just now, read by Liz, we heard from the Prime Minister himself
00:01:31saying, you know, he is disappointed that's not the Tobago that he grew up in.
00:01:36And it's kind of refreshing to hear that because, Mr. Prime Minister, if this is not a Trinidad
00:01:41that we grew up in, we feel the same way about Trinidad.
00:01:44And it's not, you know, all this talk about crime in Tobago, yes, it is disheartening,
00:01:50but it's not to say that crime and murder should be acceptable in Trinidad, but not
00:01:57in Tobago.
00:01:58It should not be acceptable at all.
00:02:01So let's find out what's happening.
00:02:03Spraying for mosquitoes, and that would have been pursuant to the interview we did with
00:02:08Pinal Devi Regional Corporation Chairman Gautam Maraj on Monday, where he did tell us that
00:02:14they are increasing their efforts as it relates to spraying for mosquitoes.
00:02:22They did have a target of about 1,000 homes per day, and we could see that that is ongoing.
00:02:30But according to Faisalabad MP, Dr. Lakram Bodo, I believe his constituency experienced
00:02:38two deaths from dengue thus far, suspected deaths.
00:02:43And he's saying that that virus surge is creating a fear.
00:02:50And also in the Express newspaper, also similar to the interviews that we did yesterday morning
00:02:56regarding the shooting deaths, the shooting death of Christopher Christian, that 27-year-old
00:03:03livestock farmer across in Carlson Field, their MP, currently central MP, Arnold Ram,
00:03:09he has joined their call for farmers and fishermen to be equipped with firearms to
00:03:14protect themselves.
00:03:15I didn't hear anything in particular coming out of that media briefing yesterday as it
00:03:19related to this particular call.
00:03:23We did have Omar Abdullah and Mr. Allen, who is also a farmer from Carlson Field on our
00:03:28show yesterday, making quite the similar call.
00:03:33I know a lot of persons are fearful of just getting that virus.
00:03:41But what we can tell you, once you suspect you have dengue, Dr. Ramlachand on our show
00:03:46earlier this week, she said you need to get tested, drink lots of fluid, and continue
00:03:52taking your medical advice.
00:03:55Stay away from, okay, so I'm not a medical person, but she was saying stay away from
00:03:59Panadol, Advil, and medications such as that aspirin.
00:04:06But of course, you'll have to be guided by your healthcare providers at those health
00:04:11facilities, or maybe your private doctor.
00:04:14So one dead, two critical.
00:04:16An outbreak of dengue in the community of Barakpur has resulted in one death and left
00:04:22two hospitalized in critical condition.
00:04:25At least 11 members of a family in Ram Subaru trees have been affected by dengue, hemorrhagic
00:04:32fever, and relatives fear the situation may get worse.
00:04:36So mosquito nets, I think there are facilities for you to spray and fog yourself, scour your
00:04:43home, look for any device, any item that could be collecting water and providing a breeding
00:04:50ground for those mosquitoes, and try your best to protect yourselves.
00:04:55Use insect repellent, those repellents containing DEET, because we have to protect ourselves
00:05:03as well.
00:05:04Loose clothing, cover your body as much as possible.
00:05:09And we say loose clothing because sometimes you may go to the savanna, you may have on
00:05:14your leggings or your tights, and you're feeling those mosquitoes biting you through your clothing.
00:05:19So loose clothing to keep them away.
00:05:21So let's get back to trinicops for Tobago.
00:05:24More trinicops for the Sister Isle.
00:05:28And they will be deployed soon.
00:05:30This was one of the major decisions taken at yesterday's meeting of the National Security
00:05:35Council in Tobago, which was chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley and attended by
00:05:41THU Chief Secretary Farley Augustin, along with Minority Leader Calvin Morris.
00:05:48Speaking at a news conference following that, the Prime Minister said he was advised that
00:05:5190% of the officers who are policing Tobago are Tobagonians.
00:05:57That might be a good thing because people are policing home, but there are certain outflows
00:06:02from that which cause me and others to believe that the policing effort is not as sharp as
00:06:07it should be, largely because of the general maxim of familiarity breeds contempt.
00:06:12This is quite interesting because we would recall former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith
00:06:17making a similar statement as it relates to ports of entry and those officers based
00:06:24along the southwestern peninsula where there would be the entry of illegal migrants, along
00:06:30with cargo, along with animals, along with guns, ammunition, and so on.
00:06:36He made the similar statement.
00:06:37I'm not sure if you'll recall, but he was calling for them to be moved, one, and two,
00:06:46lie detector tests.
00:06:47He was calling for them to be lie detector tests.
00:06:50There are two stories on the Express that I really wanted to bring to your attention
00:06:54this morning.
00:06:57Expect lots of Saharan dust today.
00:06:59Expect a change in air quality with significant amounts of Saharan dust forecast expected
00:07:05to impact Trinidad and Tobago today.
00:07:07It's a forecast issued by the TNT Met Services, which has advised those with sensitivities
00:07:13to take the necessary precautions.
00:07:17Monday's atmosphere also presented a significant amount of dust.
00:07:21Tuesday night was expected to bring fair but hazy conditions with a few light to moderate
00:07:24showers now.
00:07:25According to meteorologists, significant Saharan dust present over the area, persons sensitive
00:07:32advised to take necessary precautions.
00:07:34So you know what that is.
00:07:36If you need to have your inhalers, maybe a mask, stay inside, put on your AC, stay away
00:07:42from the dust.
00:07:43Second story, Grindr meetup goes awry, teen assaulted.
00:07:48So Malabar police, they are investigating a report where a 19-year-old man was sexually
00:07:54assaulted and robbed by his house guest.
00:07:59Police were told the victim had begun talking to the suspect on the LGBTQIA sexual meetup
00:08:06site, that's Grindr.
00:08:08He started speaking to him in June.
00:08:11After several conversations, he said he invited the suspect to his home on Saturday night
00:08:15to have dinner and drinks.
00:08:17However, he said at about 1 a.m. on Sunday, the man began to behave aggressive and he
00:08:25sexually assaulted him.
00:08:27Thereafter, the suspect left.
00:08:29The victim, while preparing to make a report to police some hours later, also realized
00:08:34that $400 in cash from his wallet was also missing.
00:08:38So the victim made a report and was taken to the Arima Medical Facility to seek medical
00:08:45attention and he also gave that statement to police.
00:08:48So we've got to make sure, not just Grindr, but any of these sites, it may be Facebook,
00:08:53Instagram, I know young people on TikTok, you need to be careful about people that you
00:08:59meet, be careful about people that you invite, not just into your lives, but also to your
00:09:03homes.
00:09:04They know where you live.
00:09:05They know those personal details about you.
00:09:08Wanted to bring this thing to your attention.
00:09:10Let's find out what's happening in sport.
00:09:13CWI Rising Stars Women's Under-19 Championship 3 on the trot.
00:09:19The Trinidad and Tobago sealed their third straight win of the CWI Rising Stars Women's
00:09:25Under-19 Championship, whipping their Windward Island counterparts by six wickets.
00:09:30Stay in contention for first place in Saturday's final.
00:09:34So that's good news.
00:09:36So to get the details of all these stories and so much more, head down to your newsstands
00:09:41and grab your copy of the Express Newspaper now.
00:09:45We've got a packed show up ahead.
00:09:48In the meantime, it's time to remind you of our Trinbago Unite feature to participate.
00:09:53It's very, very easy.
00:09:54You can WhatsApp your videos and your images to that email, not that number, to that email
00:10:00on your screen.
00:10:01It's nicole.rumany.
00:10:03She's our producer here at Morning Edition.
00:10:06So that's nicole.rumany at tv6tnt.com and we get to share it with the rest of TNT.
00:10:12Let's see what we have for you this morning.
00:10:13It was sent to us by a viewer.
00:10:15This is just beautiful.
00:10:17Tropical wildlife in all its glory.
00:10:21So just to remind you, we've got a packed show up ahead.
00:10:23We'll be speaking with Commander Garvin Hira up next.
00:10:26He's going to chat a little bit with us about U.S. officials are due to train TNT law enforcement
00:10:32and I'll try to see if we can get him to talk about some other topical items on the national
00:10:37security front.
00:10:38We'll be right back.
00:10:39My name is Dr. Stephen Carroll, the CEO at Community Hospital of Seventh Day Adventist,
00:10:58and we are committed to making good private health care affordable for all your medical
00:11:04needs, including dental, radiology, laparoscopy, behavioral and mental health, along with many
00:11:09other services.
00:11:10Contact us for more information at 235-5479.
00:11:15Community Hospital of Seventh Day Adventist, where good private health care is affordable.
00:11:24St. James Secondary Alumni Association presents Soka Tabanka Kula Gru's Denim and White Edition,
00:11:31Saturday, 13 July, aboard the Island Royalty at Blackjack Marina, Chagaramas.
00:11:35Boarding 3 p.m. Tickets $2.50 at Blazer's Bar, Tragic Road, Chick-fil-A, Excellent City,
00:11:41B&M Ice Cream, St. James, Luchman's Upholstery, Arapeta Avenue.
00:11:46Ticket hotline 322-7427-683-3434.
00:11:51Free after party at Blazer's Bar.
00:11:55In 2023 in Pune, India, we won TNT's first international crown in 25 years.
00:12:02We were the first talent for the steel pan, and we embraced the environment.
00:12:06Now we dedicate our platform to the well-being of Earth, as Team Miss and Mrs. Representatives
00:12:13compete for three crowns and raise awareness on climate change.
00:12:17This is pageantry for the planet.
00:12:21The Miss India Worldwide TNT Pageant 2024, Trinidad-Hudson, July 14th.
00:12:28Presented by The Mina House and the YARN Carina.
00:12:58Celebrate their success, support them through challenges, and acknowledge their efforts.
00:13:03At the end of the day, do your best.
00:13:07Share if you found this useful, and like and follow CTA's profiles for more parenting tips.
00:13:14The letter of the day is E, encourage.
00:13:28This is not a fight, this is madness.
00:13:45Some may look around at our current national landscape, look at the crime situation, violent
00:13:51crimes in particular.
00:13:54We may look at the number of murders, the murder tool, and agree that this is not a
00:13:58fight, this is in fact madness.
00:14:00So here with us, we've got Garvin Hero, he's former head of the NOC and also a regional
00:14:06security expert.
00:14:07Now U.S. officials from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA, international training
00:14:13team, and the U.S. Embassy's DEA, Port of Spain, country office, they'll be training
00:14:20Trinidad law enforcement agencies in intelligence collection and analysis for five days.
00:14:26Now training began on the 8th of July and it's set to be completed on the 12th of this
00:14:32month, so that would be tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow.
00:14:36So here to explain or to tell us what this really means for law enforcement officers,
00:14:41as I mentioned, we're joined by regional security expert Garvin Hero.
00:14:47Mr. Hero, thank you so much for joining us this morning.
00:14:49Hi, morning to the team in the studio and to our viewing and listening public, those
00:14:55streaming online.
00:14:56Good morning Trinidad and Tobago and the region.
00:14:59Hi, morning.
00:15:00So, yeah, you can go right ahead, but we want to find out what this really means and if
00:15:06you expect that it will affect results.
00:15:09Well, in fact, this is a good initiative.
00:15:13I must say the U.S. Embassy has continued to work closely with national security and
00:15:18other ministries in the country over the years.
00:15:22And what national security and all of the attending agencies need to understand with
00:15:27this opportunity, with this initiative, it is an opportunity to standardize the way you
00:15:34do business, build on the network of interfacing with other agencies and with the U.S.
00:15:42Embassy and build a sort of what I'll call new approach regarding intelligence gathering,
00:15:49best practices, and of course, that international stakeholder relations.
00:15:54It is not just attending a program for five days or six days.
00:15:57Use the opportunity to expand on your capabilities and also for the training, the certification
00:16:03and more importantly, building that sort of relationship that can assist you going forward.
00:16:08And it has to be a two-week in that it shouldn't just be the U.S. establishing connections
00:16:14with Trinidad law enforcement to fever some of the investigations and operations.
00:16:19The Trinidad and Tobago attendance also see this as an opportunity of fostering that good
00:16:25relationship with the U.S. Embassy representatives so that there can be a two-week sort of relationship
00:16:31building for the betterment of law enforcement in the country.
00:16:36There are 30 officers of the TGPS among hundreds that exist within the system.
00:16:41I mean, let's be realistic.
00:16:43Do we expect these 30 officers to make that huge of a dent?
00:16:49I mean, we know police culture, all of that, and we know that there are hundreds more there.
00:16:57Yeah.
00:16:58Well, you see, what we have to understand is when these type of training is offered,
00:17:04first and foremost, and it goes to the various agencies, there is some sort of what we call
00:17:09nomination, you know, that sort of recognizing the best person to attend this program
00:17:15based on what they're doing presently.
00:17:17So we would not expect a dent overnight, but what we have to understand is the certification
00:17:23and more importantly, that standardization, everybody speaking from the same page
00:17:27and the opportunity to build on relationships going forward.
00:17:31I am hoping that probably with this type of response, with the performance of our people
00:17:36on the program for the six days, the U.S. Embassy can probably see an opportunity
00:17:40to have another training, another workshop, another training opportunity
00:17:45where another duty can also be trained.
00:17:47Or I am hoping, as has been done in the past, which I'm not sure as to the structure
00:17:52of this specific training, that they also engage and invest in training the trainer.
00:17:56So it would be nice to also train some of our Trinidad and Tobago participants
00:18:01who are quite capable of now becoming trainers in this program
00:18:05so that you multiply the effect of that certification and development.
00:18:09So I would strongly advise that they also look along those lines.
00:18:13Just to make a quick correction, I did say 30 officers of the TTPS,
00:18:18but there may be fewer officers of the TTPS because that cohort of 30
00:18:23also includes Trinidad and Tobago Customs, the Coast Guard, and of course the prison services.
00:18:28But how effective, again, I'm asking, will this be if these recommendations
00:18:33and these best practices as being touted in global drug trafficking trends,
00:18:39intelligence, communication, document exploitation,
00:18:42if that does not make its way into policy documents?
00:18:45Yeah. You see, what we must pay attention to is that
00:18:51when training of this nature is exposed or offered to a country
00:18:58and it's multi-agency, as we see, it's always good to capitalize on it
00:19:03because what it does is that it gives the participant, it gives the student
00:19:10an opportunity of professional development.
00:19:14And what has happened in the past is because of that professional development,
00:19:18that performance in the program, and then they begin to use the opportunity
00:19:22now for resources and for training and for additional training.
00:19:26You are quite correct.
00:19:27Would some of what they are doing now be able to be factored into policies
00:19:31and best practices?
00:19:32This is where we make the strategic aspect of the training that is exposed.
00:19:36So there should be levels of training, of course, for the operatives,
00:19:39as we would have seen, but also for managers and upper levels
00:19:43so that there is a sort of linkage and a standardization on what is offered.
00:19:47I myself, I'm a graduate of Quantico, the DEA Academy,
00:19:52so I am aware of the type of training that you get at that institute
00:19:57and, of course, now being brought here on the ground in country for Trinidad.
00:20:00And I'm quite positive and optimistic that this has an opportunity
00:20:04to build on the development of our officers,
00:20:08but the officers must now use this and see how important it is
00:20:12to establish working relationships with the institution,
00:20:18with the Academy, with the DEA going forward.
00:20:21So, Mr. Iyeri, you did mention that you have been trained by the DEA.
00:20:27What sort of challenges or stumbling blocks would you have encountered
00:20:31when you would have attempted, I assume, to implement
00:20:35some of these best practices as head of the NOC?
00:20:39Yeah, actually, that was since I was with the Special Anti-Crime Unit
00:20:43of Trinidad and Tobago, and there weren't any stumbling blocks.
00:20:47As a matter of fact, opportunities opened up, doors opened up,
00:20:50and we had a very close working relationship with the U.S. Embassy
00:20:55and some of the other agencies within the U.S. Embassy
00:20:59because of that training with myself and a number of other officers
00:21:01in the police service.
00:21:03And we continue to have officers who are trained,
00:21:06and these officers are very, very equipped, resourced,
00:21:11and certified to perform certain tasks when it comes
00:21:14to transnational organized crime and counter-narcotics.
00:21:17What I'm seeing now is that I'm not too sure
00:21:21if there would be stumbling blocks.
00:21:23I'm not too sure if this would just be a training program
00:21:25and a PR opportunity and we take some pictures or whatever.
00:21:28I'm hoping that it's not.
00:21:30I'm hoping that it is used as a springboard
00:21:32to establish the working relationships
00:21:34with the U.S. Embassy and the other agencies
00:21:36and continue to build on our resilience
00:21:39against the reduction of crime in this country.
00:21:41Are you able to just go back in time
00:21:45and tell us a little bit about some of the instances
00:21:48where you saw your training did, in fact,
00:21:51lead to breakthroughs in some of the projects
00:21:54you may have been working on?
00:21:56Yeah, I wouldn't be able to go back into that.
00:21:58Some of it is very sensitive and, of course,
00:22:00it's what we call very confidential
00:22:03and still remains within the walls and the drawers
00:22:06of national security.
00:22:08But what I can say is that that training
00:22:12gave me an opportunity to be able
00:22:14to maintain dialogue with the Institute,
00:22:17to maintain dialogue with some of my participants
00:22:20who were from other countries,
00:22:22and we were able to collaborate going forward
00:22:25regarding international cases
00:22:27that involved probably Trinidad's territorial waters
00:22:30or Trinidadians, any lines of transnational organized crime.
00:22:33And this is what I'm seeing.
00:22:35You build on the network of those who are with you.
00:22:38So if we have Customs, Immigration, Police Officers,
00:22:42Defense Force Officers on that program,
00:22:44they should consider themselves now as a team.
00:22:48And I'm hoping that the instructors
00:22:50are sort of communicating
00:22:52that sort of chemistry with the participants
00:22:55so that they now are able to collaborate
00:22:58and to communicate and to share their intelligence
00:23:00going forward on specific cases.
00:23:02And this is where the strength
00:23:04of participating on a program of this nature
00:23:08really is built.
00:23:10I suppose, Mr. Hira, to the common man,
00:23:13just like myself, we would want to know,
00:23:17specifically, how will this training affect...
00:23:20You know, you did mention Customs.
00:23:22How will this affect situations at the port?
00:23:25How will this affect interviews?
00:23:28You know, how will this affect officers
00:23:32being able to make a breakthrough
00:23:34in some of these cases?
00:23:36Yeah, well, to be quite truthful,
00:23:39I'm a champion for the training.
00:23:41I am encouraging that.
00:23:43I'm optimistic that it is an opportunity here
00:23:46for us to be able to have more ability
00:23:49and capabilities.
00:23:51It's capacity building.
00:23:53When you look at it, it's capacity building.
00:23:55And even with the Customs officers on the port,
00:23:58we know that that could be an overwhelming situation.
00:24:00We know at times that that could be a situation
00:24:02where, as somebody else said in another place,
00:24:05where the tail wags the dog.
00:24:07But I see it as an opportunity.
00:24:09You know what?
00:24:10We are getting people trained.
00:24:12We're getting people participating
00:24:14in best practices.
00:24:15We're getting people best practices
00:24:16and standardization.
00:24:17Let's take the training and let's hope
00:24:19that it can be used now effectively.
00:24:21It should not just be an attendance
00:24:22and a completion.
00:24:23It should be an attendance, a completion,
00:24:25and now continuity.
00:24:26So the business continuity of the training,
00:24:29the business continuity of what you're learning
00:24:31on this program must now be applied
00:24:33in your specific domains.
00:24:35And I think it's an opportunity
00:24:36that should be multiplied
00:24:38because it's very important to have standardization,
00:24:41everybody speaking from the same language,
00:24:43and what is called the adoption
00:24:44of international best practice
00:24:46because, as you would have seen,
00:24:47one of the key aspects of this training
00:24:49is to deal with transnational organized crime,
00:24:51which is counter-trafficking, money laundering,
00:24:55all of those things.
00:24:56So it's a good channel to begin,
00:24:58and I am optimistic that hopefully
00:25:00we have these officers from the various agencies
00:25:03that they will continue to take this training
00:25:05back into their system and influence
00:25:08the standardization and best practices
00:25:10going forward.
00:25:11So, Ms. Zahira, if you don't mind
00:25:14switching gears just a bit,
00:25:16we haven't chatted in a little while.
00:25:18I'd like to field your thoughts
00:25:20on this entire SSA situation,
00:25:23the Prime Minister's revelation
00:25:25that this group was operating
00:25:28in a sort of cultish behavior
00:25:31and the SSA, well, there were plans
00:25:35to threaten the country's national security,
00:25:38you know, an alleged coup plot,
00:25:40your thoughts.
00:25:42Yeah, well, the SSA is an integral agency.
00:25:46They play a very, very integral role,
00:25:48a critical role in the informed decision-making
00:25:52of national security.
00:25:53And there was a report apparently
00:25:56was submitted and, of course,
00:25:57the Prime Minister spoke into the Hansard.
00:25:59The former director of the SSA responded.
00:26:03So we have, you know,
00:26:05two different sort of pronouncements.
00:26:08I would steer away a little bit
00:26:11from the political aspect
00:26:13of what was said and not said
00:26:15is still being said
00:26:16and speak specific to the importance
00:26:19of the SSA.
00:26:20Now, what would have taken place
00:26:22for many when they look at it
00:26:24and there are some polls and questions
00:26:26and talk shows going on,
00:26:28talk show host and whatever,
00:26:29it could be considered
00:26:31as something negative.
00:26:33But in all fairness,
00:26:35that negativity
00:26:36must also be capitalized
00:26:38as an opportunity for,
00:26:40you know what,
00:26:41if this has been recognized
00:26:43and according to what was said,
00:26:45there's some sort of compromise,
00:26:46let us use the opportunity
00:26:48for some house cleaning.
00:26:49Let us use this poor pillar
00:26:51for purging and for ensuring
00:26:53that, you know what,
00:26:55we can move forward
00:26:56by fixing what has been affected
00:26:59so that the integrity
00:27:01of the product
00:27:02that comes out of the SSA
00:27:04will always be at a high standard.
00:27:06You know, applaudably,
00:27:07there's some good men and women
00:27:08of the SSA former and present
00:27:10and the SSA is not a local institution.
00:27:15It's not Trinidad and Tobago.
00:27:16It's an international institution,
00:27:18regionally and internationally
00:27:19and has continued
00:27:20to be well respected
00:27:22on the tables internationally
00:27:24and we should understand
00:27:25that brand and image,
00:27:26hold on to it
00:27:27and move forward now
00:27:29by fixing and restoring
00:27:30and restructuring
00:27:32from the ground up
00:27:33some of the issues
00:27:34that have been identified.
00:27:36I don't have proof.
00:27:37I don't have data.
00:27:38I don't have empirical data
00:27:39as to what were
00:27:40some of these detections
00:27:42and indicators
00:27:43but we have to go
00:27:44with what has been said
00:27:45and promulgated
00:27:46in the public domain
00:27:47and it is very, very important
00:27:48or that we use the opportunity
00:27:50to restructure it
00:27:53but what is concerning
00:27:55the law-abiding citizens
00:27:56who need to know
00:27:57what is concerning us
00:27:59is there still an operationality
00:28:02with the SSA?
00:28:04Has it been brought to a halt?
00:28:05Is there still some form
00:28:07of operations
00:28:08that are taking place there?
00:28:10And I want to advocate strongly
00:28:12the lessons learned
00:28:13from what we have seen
00:28:14and heard
00:28:15has indicated
00:28:16that it's now very important
00:28:17to have oversight
00:28:19of the SSA
00:28:20and other intelligence agencies
00:28:22in country going forward.
00:28:24Oversight,
00:28:25that is a very important point
00:28:27but in your opinion
00:28:29does the SSA
00:28:30require access
00:28:31to weapons
00:28:32and ammunition?
00:28:35There will be a requirement
00:28:37for weapons.
00:28:39I'm not too sure
00:28:40what type of weapons
00:28:41but the SSA has
00:28:43over the years
00:28:44would have had
00:28:45a security arm
00:28:46that provided
00:28:47infrastructure security.
00:28:49I wasn't too sure
00:28:51what has changed
00:28:52in its dynamics
00:28:53as to whether
00:28:54they now have
00:28:55a response team
00:28:56or investigating team
00:28:57or whatever.
00:28:58So I'm unable
00:28:59to see along
00:29:00those lines
00:29:01but in the past
00:29:02the SSA
00:29:04was an institute
00:29:05that had weapons
00:29:06and that was really
00:29:07for their infrastructure security
00:29:09and of course
00:29:10personal protection
00:29:11for some personnel
00:29:12depending on the level
00:29:13of investigations
00:29:14and intelligence
00:29:15that they were performing.
00:29:16It was also revealed
00:29:18that some
00:29:1970,000 ammunition
00:29:22was missing.
00:29:23Is this alarming to you?
00:29:25Anything with
00:29:26missing ammunition
00:29:27has to be alarming
00:29:28not only to me
00:29:29but to the citizens.
00:29:30But I said
00:29:31I don't have
00:29:32the empirical data
00:29:33I don't know the why
00:29:34I don't know the how
00:29:35that was spoken
00:29:37but not given
00:29:38in details
00:29:39and it's expected
00:29:40some of it
00:29:41would remain confidential
00:29:42but there is a report
00:29:43a report that was
00:29:44actually conducted
00:29:45so if that report
00:29:46was conducted
00:29:47and there were findings
00:29:48then we have to
00:29:49go with what
00:29:50we are hearing.
00:29:51Would it have
00:29:52to be explained
00:29:53later on
00:29:54in a sort of
00:29:55inquiry later on?
00:29:56Maybe there would be
00:29:57but as I said before
00:29:58and I continue to say
00:29:59these findings
00:30:01these detections
00:30:02the switches
00:30:03that went on
00:30:04the lights that went on
00:30:05in the room
00:30:06is an indicator
00:30:07of how important
00:30:08it is to have oversight.
00:30:09You must have
00:30:10autonomy
00:30:11as an intelligence agency
00:30:12that's expected
00:30:13you will have
00:30:14to have autonomy
00:30:15but
00:30:16that autonomy
00:30:17does not give you
00:30:18free reign
00:30:19there has to be
00:30:20a certain
00:30:21oversight and authority
00:30:22as to that autonomy
00:30:23in your acquisitions
00:30:24in your procurement
00:30:25and of course
00:30:26in your operations.
00:30:27So it has now
00:30:28provided an opportunity
00:30:29for Trinidad
00:30:30to look deep
00:30:31a deep dive
00:30:32look into the thing
00:30:33and to recognize
00:30:34how important
00:30:35now to have
00:30:36continued
00:30:37oversight
00:30:38on some of these
00:30:39intelligence agencies
00:30:40to ensure that
00:30:41one
00:30:42they are utilizing
00:30:43the guardrails
00:30:44that are provided
00:30:45they are walking
00:30:46in the lane
00:30:47and they have
00:30:48the autonomy
00:30:49to do what
00:30:50they have to do
00:30:51but they have
00:30:52to ensure that
00:30:53the status
00:30:54and the integrity
00:30:55of the organization
00:30:56is operating
00:30:57according to plan.
00:30:58Who's guarding
00:30:59the guards?
00:31:00Who's guarding
00:31:01the guards?
00:31:02Correct.
00:31:03So do you believe
00:31:04that the SSA report
00:31:05a redacted version
00:31:06at least
00:31:07should be made
00:31:08public?
00:31:09To be quite truthful
00:31:10I don't think so
00:31:11and the reason
00:31:12for that
00:31:13is because
00:31:14you don't want
00:31:15to further
00:31:16what I call
00:31:17dilute
00:31:18the importance
00:31:19of the SSA
00:31:20report
00:31:21the integrity
00:31:22of the organization
00:31:23I think
00:31:24what has been
00:31:25found
00:31:26needs to be discussed
00:31:27in some sort
00:31:28of forum
00:31:29it has to be
00:31:30also looked at
00:31:31reviewed
00:31:32assessed
00:31:33and evaluated
00:31:34and those findings
00:31:35be placed
00:31:36in a sort
00:31:37of structural
00:31:38approach
00:31:39of restoration
00:31:40and restructuring
00:31:41but putting that
00:31:42out there
00:31:43in the open
00:31:44domain
00:31:45we understand
00:31:46the freedom
00:31:47of information
00:31:48we understand
00:31:49the access
00:31:50to information
00:31:51we also have
00:31:52to understand
00:31:53that we have
00:31:54to insulate
00:31:55and protect
00:31:56the integrity
00:31:57of certain
00:31:58organizations
00:31:59because our
00:32:00international
00:32:01counterparts
00:32:02our international
00:32:03relationships
00:32:04is also
00:32:05going to be
00:32:06very interested
00:32:07and involved
00:32:08in what is
00:32:09taking place
00:32:10and what is
00:32:11also evolving
00:32:12out of the SSA
00:32:13and for that
00:32:14type of protection
00:32:15for the status
00:32:16and the integrity
00:32:17of the SSA
00:32:18more importantly
00:32:19the integrity
00:32:20of a country
00:32:21I don't think
00:32:22the entire
00:32:23report needs
00:32:24to be public
00:32:25I think
00:32:26that's the
00:32:27findings
00:32:28and from
00:32:29some aspects
00:32:30of the findings
00:32:31a structural
00:32:32approach
00:32:33to restructuring
00:32:34and restoring
00:32:35the integrity
00:32:36and the performance
00:32:37of the SSA
00:32:38Mr. Hira
00:32:39turning to
00:32:40another hot
00:32:41topic now
00:32:42just yesterday
00:32:43the murder toll
00:32:44was 299
00:32:45comparative
00:32:46to 301
00:32:47last year
00:32:48and 302
00:32:49last year
00:32:50so we have
00:32:51officially
00:32:52surpassed
00:32:53last year's
00:32:54toll
00:32:55your thoughts
00:32:56crime in
00:32:57Tobago
00:32:58these Tobago
00:32:59murders
00:33:00as opposed
00:33:01to Trinidad
00:33:02the blanket
00:33:03level
00:33:04of violence
00:33:05and murders
00:33:06throughout our
00:33:07country
00:33:08you did mention
00:33:09before
00:33:10that when we
00:33:11were talking
00:33:12about the
00:33:13training of
00:33:14these 30
00:33:15personnel
00:33:16from the
00:33:17local
00:33:18agencies
00:33:19that
00:33:20you know
00:33:21we don't
00:33:22expect results
00:33:23overnight
00:33:24but to the
00:33:25regular citizen
00:33:26out there
00:33:27we actually
00:33:28do want
00:33:29overnight
00:33:30results
00:33:31do you
00:33:32have any
00:33:33thoughts
00:33:34you're quite
00:33:35correct
00:33:36because
00:33:37there are
00:33:38some aspects
00:33:39of crime
00:33:40and the
00:33:41buzz
00:33:42term now
00:33:43is crime
00:33:44reduction
00:33:45because I
00:33:46think the
00:33:47Prime Minister
00:33:48spoke specific
00:33:49to
00:33:50it's not
00:33:51exclusivity
00:33:52it's inclusivity
00:33:53it's Trinidad
00:33:54and Tobago
00:33:55and we're facing
00:33:56a scenario
00:33:57and a situation
00:33:58and you're
00:33:59quite correct
00:34:00when we have
00:34:01that type
00:34:02of rampant
00:34:03disregard
00:34:04for law
00:34:05enforcement
00:34:06for law
00:34:07and disregard
00:34:08and disrespect
00:34:09for lives
00:34:10and the
00:34:11drive-by
00:34:12shootings
00:34:13and triple
00:34:14murders
00:34:15we have
00:34:16societies
00:34:17is under
00:34:18fear at this
00:34:19time
00:34:20and therefore
00:34:21there needs
00:34:22to be
00:34:23some
00:34:24very hard
00:34:25and fast
00:34:26approaches
00:34:27by the
00:34:28police service
00:34:29and by
00:34:30national
00:34:31security
00:34:32and I
00:34:33think
00:34:34what
00:34:35I've said
00:34:36before
00:34:37and I've
00:34:38said
00:34:39again
00:34:40it's not
00:34:41just about
00:34:42increased
00:34:43manpower
00:34:44it's about
00:34:45tactical
00:34:46approaches
00:34:47and I think
00:34:48we should
00:34:49do this
00:34:50in a
00:34:51short
00:34:52medium
00:34:53and long
00:34:54term
00:34:55approach
00:34:56what are
00:34:57going to
00:34:58be our
00:34:59short
00:35:00term
00:35:01operations
00:35:02our
00:35:03medium
00:35:04term
00:35:05and our
00:35:06long
00:35:07term
00:35:08operations
00:35:09and go
00:35:10at it
00:35:11and go
00:35:12at it
00:35:14very
00:35:15quickly
00:35:16because
00:35:17we are
00:35:18aware
00:35:19there may
00:35:20be
00:35:21individuals
00:35:22who are
00:35:23responsible
00:35:24leading
00:35:25these
00:35:26charges
00:35:27who are
00:35:28directing
00:35:29criminals
00:35:30and giving
00:35:31instruction
00:35:32which is
00:35:33considered
00:35:34some
00:35:35of the
00:35:36heads
00:35:37who are
00:35:38in charge
00:35:39and it
00:35:40is very
00:35:41important
00:35:42to push
00:35:43of the SSA is still functioning, that needs to be communicated to the public that the
00:35:48thing hasn't broken apart, you know, there's still a functionality involved.
00:35:52So that intelligence gathering regarding who's in charge and we go hard at the short term
00:35:57going at the heads, the medium and the long term.
00:36:00Now people have to be arrested and incarcerated so there has to be some sort of restructuring
00:36:04and capabilities and capacity building in our prison service because when you go through
00:36:09the prosecutorial process and you incarcerate some of these criminals and you're taking
00:36:13them off the streets, where are you putting them?
00:36:15You're putting them in already overcrowded jails.
00:36:18So the prison system also has to undergo a serious restructuring and revisiting of its
00:36:23capacity building for this new wave of anti-crime and crime reduction operations that we are
00:36:29hoping that we should see.
00:36:30So some of the talks that we heard about yesterday and that are happening here on the ground
00:36:34has to be aligned, associated and complemented with operations, tactical operations on the
00:36:42ground, tactical policing, maximizing on the technology, maximizing on utilizing the information
00:36:49from our communities and building on a sort of strong approach to bring this thing to
00:36:54a closure.
00:36:56Have some clearly defined objectives that needs to be communicated.
00:37:00What are your objectives and place these objectives into short, medium and long term
00:37:04approaches and let the citizens be able to evaluate and assess these objectives by your
00:37:10operations and the results that are generated.
00:37:13I just have one final question for you.
00:37:15You know, in homes we have this good parent, bad parent sort of approach and the good parent
00:37:22is the one that we would often take advantage of.
00:37:25We may disregard what they're saying, you know, because we know there'll be no punishment
00:37:30coming from them.
00:37:32And this is no disrespect to the sitting police commissioner, but or it's no fault of his,
00:37:39I should say.
00:37:40But do you think she may be a good parent?
00:37:44And viewed that way by the criminal elements?
00:37:48I think what we have to do, because I'm not going to specifically answer that question.
00:37:53I'm leaving that for the national observation and viewpoints to draw on their own what I'll
00:38:02call calculations as to what you would have asked.
00:38:04But what I would say is that what you do is that regardless of the head and regardless
00:38:10of the agency, you must be able to assess and evaluate the performance and the parenting
00:38:17based on the results that are generated.
00:38:19And if it is that you are not satisfied with the results, then the parenting is not good.
00:38:23If you're satisfied with results and the parenting is good, I'd leave it there.
00:38:27Political answer there.
00:38:29So thank you.
00:38:30Thank you so much, Mr. Hero, for joining us this morning.
00:38:33Thank you so much for, of course, sharing your views with us this morning.
00:38:36All the best to you.
00:38:37It's always a pleasure.
00:38:38And thank you.
00:38:39And compliments to the media house for raising the conversation.
00:38:42Continue so to do.
00:38:43Thank you so much.
00:38:44Well, viewers, it's now time for a quick break.
00:38:46On the other side of the break, we will be joined by economists and senior policy adviser,
00:38:52Dr. Vannish James, who also is a resident of Tobago.
00:38:56So we're talking about crime and security in Tobago.
00:38:59We'll be continuing our discussion.
00:39:00We'll be right back.
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00:39:57I find it's about time.
00:39:59Johnny, fix it.
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00:40:13Hi, I'm Apostle Devince, welcoming you to my television broadcast, Turning Point.
00:40:18I believe that this could be the turning point in your very life.
00:40:22Join me every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 6 a.m.
00:40:27for a dynamic Turning Point moment in your life.
00:40:30The Lord bless you. Have a wonderful day.
00:40:37This is Mary.
00:40:39Mary has bills to pay and takes a chance parking in front of the building at the no parking sign.
00:40:45Mary returns to her car and this is what happens.
00:40:56Mary decides to call when she's five minutes away to let her daughter know that she is close by.
00:41:02But Mary forgot one thing.
00:41:10Well, I tell you.
00:41:12After two tickets, Mary just isn't paying attention to her speed.
00:41:32Don't be like Mary.
00:41:34Obey the laws of the road.
00:41:36A message from the TTPS.
00:41:56Welcome back.
00:41:57Trinidad and Tobago, so my studio crew, they asked me to make a public service announcement
00:42:02to remind the public that West Indies is playing England as we speak at Lords.
00:42:08And of course, the score is 34 for one.
00:42:11West Indies is batting.
00:42:12Craig Braffett.
00:42:13Well, he was out.
00:42:14I wasn't quite certain at what point, how many runs he scored, but he is out and they are at the crease.
00:42:22So you guys don't switch just yet.
00:42:24You'll wait till eight o'clock to switch on and take it in.
00:42:27Or you can take it in on your phone while you look at us on TV.
00:42:30Because you don't want to miss this segment that we are on now.
00:42:34We're talking crime and security in Tobago.
00:42:38Of course, a lot has happened over the past few days.
00:42:41Tobago would have recorded its just about its first quadruple murder and that happened.
00:42:49Well, we know that three persons died immediately after that incident on Monday morning, very early Monday morning.
00:42:57And after that, one person died after spending a short while at hospital.
00:43:04So this morning we are joined by Dr. Varnesh James.
00:43:09He is an economist and senior policy advisor.
00:43:12He's also a resident of Tobago.
00:43:15So, Dr. James, morning to you.
00:43:17Thank you for joining us.
00:43:19How are you?
00:43:20You know, when we did, I'm good.
00:43:22When we did our little greeting before the show started, our little tests and so on,
00:43:26you said you are good given the circumstances.
00:43:30So, I mean, as a Tobagonian, your sentiments, how does it feel?
00:43:38Well, in Tobago, murders and high crime generally are always a shock to our system
00:43:46because we have a relatively safe society as we see it.
00:43:53And so the question arises every time these murders and special events arise.
00:44:03We need to reflect carefully, I think, thoughtfully,
00:44:08and I would say somewhat more thoughtfully than the Prime Minister and the Commissioner,
00:44:13when these things happen.
00:44:16Could you expand a bit?
00:44:18I mean, you compared it to the Prime Minister and the Commissioner.
00:44:22Well, the reasons these things are happening should be properly understood.
00:44:29Let's give you some context.
00:44:32Throughout my lifetime, Tobago has always had a kind of release point in Trinidad
00:44:43when things go wrong and things are wrong in Tobago, especially when the economy turns down.
00:44:49We find release by leaving and going to Trinidad.
00:44:54So there is always a very low, almost minuscule unemployment rate in Tobago for that reason,
00:45:01when the CSO conducts this analysis.
00:45:04Now, that gives you context for a reason.
00:45:08When you go to Trinidad as a Tobagoanian,
00:45:11you buy into whatever the opportunities are that are available in Trinidad,
00:45:17and those are not always good opportunities.
00:45:22We know, for example, right now,
00:45:25and that's the reason Tobagoanians must always monitor and analyze what's happening in Trinidad.
00:45:30We know, for example, that you have somewhere near 13,000, 14,000 persons in Trinidad
00:45:37with high levels of education, full certificates and O-levels and A-levels and degrees and, you know, that sort of stuff,
00:45:50who are unemployed, and that's a risk for the criminal middle.
00:45:55When we fail in Trinidad to transform the economy so that these kinds of people can find good employment
00:46:04away from the high-risk existence of criminal activity, we're playing with fire.
00:46:09And when Tobagoanians have to leave here to go to Trinidad to find release,
00:46:14that's one of the set of options that would be available to them.
00:46:18In 2022, the economy of Tobago, and I have been trying to draw the islands and the country's attention to this fact,
00:46:26because the officials have not reported it, the economy of Tobago declined by 2%,
00:46:32and as a consequence of that, by the CSOs reporting, 700 of our best workers left Tobago to go to Trinidad.
00:46:42We lost our overall population of 900 from the labor force.
00:46:46Not all went to Trinidad, but a large chunk left and went abroad, and so in 2023,
00:46:52when you looked at the CSO reporting on the state of the labor force over the two years,
00:46:58you could see those figures evident in the data set.
00:47:02Now, the thing with that is that when you go to Trinidad and don't find good employment opportunities,
00:47:09although jobs were being created in Trinidad at that time, you could be lured into crime,
00:47:16and since I was a young fellow, I remember when many of the reputable bachelors of law were Tobagoanians.
00:47:23That's the same phenomenon that you are watching, and then now you see that that could spill back over,
00:47:29because the communication between Tobago and Trinidad today is much easier.
00:47:36In those days, you had to spend a whole night on the boat to go from Tobago to Trinidad,
00:47:41but now you have two options, and both are pretty efficient options,
00:47:46so the consequences of that would be that Tobagoanians have to care about what is happening in Trinidad on the one hand
00:47:53and care about our backyard on the other, and that's the sense in which I say it's much more.
00:47:59You need more elaboration than was provided by the Prime Minister and the Commission.
00:48:06You know, Dr. James, I'll take you up on that point, certainly.
00:48:11The connect between Trinidad has existed for decades.
00:48:16So why now? Why is it only now we're seeing this increase in crime?
00:48:24What makes Tobago a preferred market for these criminals?
00:48:29Well, it's not simply—I don't think the evidence supports the idea that it's a preferred market.
00:48:35You're talking about 15 criminal events in a context—16 criminal events in a context of hundreds and maybe thousands in Trinidad.
00:48:48So it's not that the main market for crime is in Tobago or is emerging in Tobago.
00:48:55What you have is a shock on the system, both to Trinidadians' mind and Tobago's mind,
00:49:00because we've always been thinking of Tobago as a safe zone, the safest part of the country.
00:49:05Now what we have to do, though, is—and let me just make the point that when I was young
00:49:12and we had the same phenomenon on a smaller scale, the reason for the smaller scale was the more difficult communication.
00:49:18I remember when a lot of those guys used to come home to Tobago, but they would come once every two or three years
00:49:25because the communication system was much more difficult to navigate.
00:49:32So the idea is that the movement between the islands has always been there,
00:49:38but the scale and the speed that you have access to today is much, much higher.
00:49:46I'm still quite curious. You know, the police initially, after that quadruple murder,
00:49:52when we thought it was just a triple murder, the police believed that it was gang-related.
00:49:57And that sort of struck me because in, you know, tiny Tobago, are they really fighting for turf?
00:50:05Well, just a couple of weeks ago, we were having a big dialogue with some of our main criminologists from Tobago
00:50:14and associated with Tobago, like Professor Wendell Wallace and others like that.
00:50:18And the idea that there was a growing gang culture in Tobago surprised even me, who lives here.
00:50:27And I think the gang culture must have been associated in some way with the availability of opportunities across islands,
00:50:38across the two islands, between the two islands.
00:50:42So the criminal enterprise that is evolving in the country, Tobago, as Rowley was saying quite correctly,
00:50:49is not immune from it. And the existence of gangs in Black Rock and Bethel and places like those
00:51:01that the professionals were drawing our attention to makes sense in the context in which we are failing to do two things.
00:51:09To me as an economist, we are failing to do a number of basic things.
00:51:14First, we are failing to transform the national economy, the Trinidad economy, the main pillar that Tobago depends on.
00:51:20We are failing to do the diversification down there.
00:51:23So you have risk for the criminal mill as one of the ways people will try to make money.
00:51:29And that could spill over. It's not that Tobago is becoming ever more attractive.
00:51:34There are people here who are trying to find a living.
00:51:36And remember, the collapse of the economy in the last two years tells you that people will try here too.
00:51:43And when that is happening, the people who are going to try wouldn't purely be people resident in Trinidad,
00:51:52largely because Tobagonians are finding themselves under pressure.
00:51:57And they're looking for ways for outlets. And one of those outlets would be migration to Trinidad.
00:52:02But one of them would be collaboration with criminal elements in Trinidad to find a way to make a living.
00:52:07So it's not a mystery. The key question is, what are we failing to do both in Tobago and in Trinidad to deal with crime?
00:52:15The Prime Minister has been in power now for nearly 10 years.
00:52:18And at no stage am I aware of him wanting to run a society in which crime is increasing.
00:52:25But crime increased dramatically over his tenure.
00:52:30So something fundamental has to be understood.
00:52:33And I didn't find from studying his interviews with the Commissioner of Police that we were getting to the heart of the problem
00:52:46as we understand it here in Tobago. We could deal with some of that.
00:52:52So, Dr. James, I mean, I kind of share your thoughts there that, you know, treating with crime in Trinidad and Tobago should not be distinct.
00:53:00We should one effort. It's the same effort because it's the same issue in essence.
00:53:05But we're going to have to take a quick break. We have much more to talk about.
00:53:09Of course, more tranny cops in Tobago. These efforts suggested more surveillance cameras, et cetera, et cetera.
00:53:16There's so much more to talk about. But we have to take a quick break and go to the 7 a.m. news.
00:53:20I'm going to ask you to hold the zoom line and we'll continue the conversation after 7.
00:53:25OK. Thank you so much to our viewers. It's now time for a quick break. We'll be right back.
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00:54:38July.
00:55:06Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has expressed disappointment with the crime situation in Tobago.
00:55:11On Monday night, the fourth man shot on Sunday with three others in Tobago succumbed to his injuries at the Scarborough General Hospital.
00:55:19The other three victims died at the scene of the crime in Blackrock, Tobago.
00:55:24Dr. Rowley, who was in Tobago since the weekend, hosted a media conference on Tuesday following a National Security Council meeting at the office of the Prime Minister in Tobago.
00:55:34The Prime Minister told reporters that some on the island have chosen criminality as a way of life.
00:55:41I'm not happy at all. And it diminishes me. And I think it diminishes all of Tobago that we are making this kind of news or being out front for all the wrong reasons.
00:55:52I grew up in Tobago. And as I was telling those of us who were in the room this morning, this is not the Tobago I knew or the Tobago I grew up in.
00:56:01The Tobago I knew, parents took responsibility, serious responsibility for instilling in their charges, their young children, the responsibility to be respectful, to be ambitious and to, you know, make something of yourself.
00:56:21Unfortunately, that's not happening now. The world has changed and people are choosing. This is not accidental, something happening to us accidentally. Some people are deliberately choosing criminal conduct as a way of life.
00:56:39To other news, Faizabad MP Dr. Lakram Bodo is calling on the Minister of Health to pump greater resources into the insect vector control department so that it can better tackle the current surge in dengue cases.
00:56:55He says in some areas, the absence of vehicles for teams to move around communities is hindering the department's ability to respond appropriately.
00:57:06I am told that the lack of a vehicle is the main problem for the insect vector control division to do its work in the borough of Sipari, especially within the constituency of Faizabad.
00:57:19And I want to call upon the Minister of Health to ensure that the resources are provided, you know, in a very expeditious manner. If it is that a vehicle is required, I see no reason why a vehicle cannot be subcontracted, contracted in the short term to deal with this because the cases are increasing on a daily basis.
00:57:41And in the forecast, another round of stable conditions persist with mainly hot, hazy and at times breezy conditions despite the odd passing shower. Seas are slight to moderate in open waters with swells ranging from 1 to 1.5 meters in height.
00:58:12Did you know chronic inflammation can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes? That's right. Chronic inflammation, a long-term physiological response to harmful stimuli, is not just a minor annoyance.
00:58:26It's a potential precursor to a host of serious health issues, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and pancreas related problems.
00:58:36Chronic inflammation, as the name suggests, is not an acute short-term response to injury or infection. Instead, it's a slow, insidious process that can persist for months, even years.
00:58:49This ongoing inflammation can wreak havoc on your body's systems, including the intricate mechanisms that regulate blood sugar. Now, let's shed some light on how chronic inflammation can lead to insulin resistance.
00:59:02Under normal circumstances, insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas, helps transport glucose into your cells, providing them with the energy they need.
00:59:12However, chronic inflammation can interfere with this process. It can make your cells more resistant to insulin, making it harder for glucose to enter your cells.
00:59:23As a result, blood sugar levels in your bloodstream can rise, setting the stage for diabetes. But that's not all. Chronic inflammation can also directly impact your pancreas, the organ responsible for producing insulin.
00:59:36Prolonged inflammation in the pancreas can damage the insulin-producing beta cells. This damage can reduce insulin production, exacerbating the problem of high blood sugar and worsening the state of diabetes.
00:59:50Moreover, chronic inflammation can contribute to what's known as pancreatic beta cell exhaustion. This condition leads to impaired insulin secretion and further disrupts glucose regulation, pushing the body further down the path towards diabetes.
01:00:06Chronic inflammation can also increase the risk of pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas. This condition can damage pancreatic tissue, disrupt insulin production, and further compound the problems associated with diabetes.
01:00:20Understanding the connection between chronic inflammation and diabetes underscores the importance of managing inflammation. Lifestyle changes such as adopting a balanced diet, engaging in regular exercise, and managing stress can all play a crucial role in reducing chronic inflammation.
01:00:38And in some cases, medication may be necessary. Of course, if you have any concerns about chronic inflammation, insulin resistance or diabetes, it's important to consult a healthcare professional. They can provide personalized guidance and help you take steps to protect your health.
01:00:57In conclusion, chronic inflammation is more than just a persistent annoyance. It's a potential catalyst for insulin resistance, diabetes, and a host of pancreas-related issues. By understanding this connection and taking steps to manage inflammation, you can help safeguard your health against these serious conditions.
01:01:27Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please like, share, and subscribe.
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01:02:57Oh, how are my parents? They're doing great. Everybody's well. I have bruises and marks that I have to make up stories about when people ask. What'd they say? I fall off my bike. You know how it is. They beat me up and I'm tired of lying. Once, just once, I want to say no, I'm not fine. Please, someone, just help me.
01:03:27Children have rights.
01:03:57Welcome back, Trinidad and Tobago. Well, we are continuing our discussion with Dr. Varnish James about crime and security in Tobago. As you know, Dr. James is an economist and senior policy advisor. Dr. James, let me thank you so much for holding the line and, of course, staying with us.
01:04:28You're welcome.
01:04:29So, I really wanted, before we talk about the initiatives as announced yesterday by the Prime Minister after that National Security Council meeting, I wanted to field your thoughts on the influence of Venezuelan migrants.
01:04:48Because we're hearing on the ground that in addition to migrants coming directly to Trinidad, they also make their way to Tobago. What do you think that influence has on violent crimes, one, and the access to guns and ammunition?
01:05:06Well, you could only know the proper answer to that if you have access to the kind of data needed to consider the question. But in the conversations I was telling you about earlier with some of our crime experts from Tobago, they didn't give a lot of weight on the Tobago side of the story to the migration of Venezuelans.
01:05:30And, of course, as an ordinary citizen moving up and down in Tobago, you don't see a lot of the Venezuelans on the ground. So, the basis on which they would be able to create criminal enterprise in Tobago would have to be through their collaboration with Tobagonians.
01:05:49And that gives some sense of the usefulness of the comment made by the Prime Minister about some Tobagonians choosing criminal enterprise and maybe teaming up when the opportunity comes, if the Venezuelans play a role in it. But Professor Wallace and others didn't think it was a big factor. That's a couple of weeks ago in that conversation.
01:06:15Though, Dr. James, given the increased murders and violent crimes in Tobago, we may be able to agree that there is easier access to guns. There are two ways to get to Tobago via sea and via air. Could we stem that movement of guns and ammunition to Tobago, and what needs to be done to stop this?
01:06:39Well, there are deeper solutions, as I said, but that the policing side of it, I'd let the police speak to the way you could interdict drugs in the context in which we are operating. In the conversation we had the other day, some of the criminologists, including our own Dr. Wallace from Castile, made the comment that what we need to do is to stop the use of guns.
01:07:10What we need to do is pay closer attention to the traffic between the islands. In the way we used to, when I was a little fellow, in those days you couldn't take the boat and go to Trinidad without proper screening so people could see what you're moving, and you couldn't come from Trinidad to Tobago without properly filing what you're moving.
01:07:33But in those days, of course, there was proper documentation and recording of the contents of the traffic. Nowadays, we've abandoned that project and we simply could jump on and you open your trunk and they look and it's not a serious effort to understand what's the movement.
01:07:49And that's a problem even with respect to measuring the trade between Tobago and Trinidad. But on the airport side, of course, your stuff is checked and you go through metal detectors and so on to make the move. No such privileges, no such mechanism is available on the shipping port.
01:08:15The thing is, though, that the problem that we are dealing with is policing and the kind of discussion the Prime Minister had the other day is only really a small part in my mind of a huge story of the way we are organized as a society.
01:08:34The way we are organized in Tobago, the way we are organized in Trinidad, and the way we use proper organization of society to address the problem of crime. You see the same phenomenon in Jamaica. And as long as we remain set up the way we are, where a large pool of the capabilities we could deploy is left-eyed, we're not going to make any progress.
01:08:56The Prime Minister makes the point, for example, that we should collaborate more with the police. And the police makes the same point. The police makes that point in Tobago all the time. That's true. But that is not the fundamental basis on which you are going to stem the emergence of crime, either in Tobago or Trinidad.
01:09:16Those kinds of conversations, the simplistic solution of collaborating with the police is always available to the police. And it's good that they should think of trying to nurture more collaboration with citizens. But in a society like this, as we have again seen in Jamaica, that is not an adequate way to think about this problem.
01:09:37Not an adequate way to think about this problem. So let's talk about some of the other efforts, as mentioned by the Prime Minister. Tobago police, your thoughts on Tobago police policing Tobago. Do you agree with, well, do you think Tobago police, according to the Prime Minister, let me get that quote correctly, that might be a good thing because people are policing home.
01:10:04But there are certain outflows from that which cause me and others to believe that the policing effort is not as sharp as it should be, largely because of the general maxim of familiarity breeds contempt. Do you agree with this school of thought? And do you agree with more Trinidadian police intermingling with Tobago police is part of the solution?
01:10:31Well, it's not quite the way to think about it for this reason. If you look properly at the evidence, Trinidad police has always had a huge contribution of Tobagoans coming into Trinidad to do policing. A large chunk of the police force in Trinidad comes from Tobago.
01:10:51Now, if the issue was social intermingling, then that would have had a very moderating effect on crime in Trinidad. But you see, that's not what the evidence shows. So it may make sense to say that more Trinidadians who are not cozy with the society could come in and help with the policing. But I think that is too simple a way to think of this problem.
01:11:14Too simple a way to think of this problem. So let's go through it point by point. More CCTV surveillance. Let's get that. National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hines has announced that Tobago's CCTV surveillance system is to receive a major boost when an additional 2,500 cameras procured for the country come into operation.
01:11:36I believe, was there a number? I'm not seeing a specific number as to how many CCTV cameras there are in Tobago at the moment. But Tobago's to get a large chunk of that. If we were to judge by the effect of CCTV cameras in Trinidad and this possible effect in Tobago, Dr. James, I'm not sure this would make quite a difference.
01:12:00That tells the story right there. I know a lot of places and a lot of people in Trinidad with CCTV cameras all around. It has nothing to do with the escalation of crime right on the very street where many of my people live. As you know, every family in Tobago has huge numbers of relatives in Trinidad. And I know many of them who would call me and say, right across from my house, my cameras picked up so-so-so at me.
01:12:26People, criminality, surveillance and policing and all of that is an important part of that part of the profession and that part of the solution. But the way to deal with crime is to go to the fundamentals.
01:12:44The society has to be, first of all, reorganized in order to allow for the right sets of people to be involved in preventing crime. That's the first thing. The communities in Tobago tell me all the time. I go around and talk to them. I survey them. I do focus groups with them. And they tell me all the time.
01:13:06We can do a lot more to address the emerging criminality here than we are allowed to do because of the lack of empowerment of our communities. Dr. Rowley made an important point in his conversation that information sharing with the police is an important part of the solution.
01:13:32But policing as a whole is only a small part of the solution. And what the communities are saying is correct. If they were empowered, they would know much more about where the crime is emerging, where the problems are. They would see it from childhood, from babyhood.
01:13:50They see these people growing up, and they're seeing the warning signs, and they're saying, if we were empowered to tackle it then, you wouldn't see what you're seeing. Even in the context of minimal crime in Tobago, you wouldn't see the emergence of that much crime.
01:14:07So the first consideration in Tobago, as in Trinidad, although Tobago and I say Trinidadians mind their own business. But from my professional standpoint, empowerment of our communities properly in Trinidad is a major part of the way we must tackle emerging criminality.
01:14:29And if you want to know whether that is serious evidence or not, look in Jamaica, where the government established what they call the Zoso Zones, where the police could move in for six months and block criminality.
01:14:47And when that happens, criminality goes down. But as soon as they leave, the criminals move back in. And they've had that experience now for the last, what, 10 years under the JLP. So the whole point I'm making is, if the communities themselves are not properly empowered to have an eternal monitoring and response and a fundamental approach to preventing criminality,
01:15:16from childhood all the way through, then you will find that the problem will spiral out of control in a context in which we are failing to provide better employment opportunities for our people than is available today.
01:15:33And that's been a problem in Trinidad. A huge chunk of our population is employed in jobs in CPEP and URP and all of those places. And when a person comes from the university with a degree, they're not interested in going into those jobs.
01:15:50So criminality, even with its high risks of life and so on, will become relatively much more attractive and would spiral out of control. Trinidad has access to the Jamaica data to see that over the last 30 years, that's exactly what happened to criminality in Jamaica.
01:16:12You can't fail to reorganize the society, to tackle it, and then say you need more collaboration. If more authority is vested in the communities to tackle the problem, the collaboration emerges from the integrated way in which the communities would be organized.
01:16:31When the policing is the only solution you're thinking about and the police is alien to the sociology, so to say, meaning people distance themselves from it sociologically, then the business of getting information to the police becomes one of skilled detective work. And all over the world, that has been shown to be only a limited part. It's not a panacea by any means.
01:16:58It's more of a reactive approach to crime and criminality because the criminals have already formed. It is in them. But I just get the impression that we are unable or unwilling to tackle crime as a social issue.
01:17:15Absolutely. And the fundamental reason I'm saying, one of the fundamental reasons, quite apart from functional education, large numbers, 68% of the labor force in Trinidad is undereducated. I studied the Trinidad, the Trinidad and Tobago, and the Trinidad economy because I know the Tobago, and we have to understand what's happening in Trinidad.
01:17:42The latest evidence from this year is that you have 68% of the labor force in Trinidad, as of 2023, undereducated, meaning not complete education as defined by the Ministry of Education, and so on, all the way through the chain, all the way back to primary school.
01:18:04And then, of course, you know from the way we educate ourselves that skill doesn't play a big role in our education system, which is so focused on something called academics, and then you end up with 30% passing the exams and the next 70% in the doldrums forever because we have no remedial education structures.
01:18:24Now, when you have that as your context, what do you expect with respect to criminality? You have large numbers of people who have none of the normal skills you need to build a viable, creative, dynamic economy, to do innovation and all of those things.
01:18:42And apart from the fact that we tend to have inadequate policies to deal with them when they try, like in the music industry and so on, apart from all of that, these fundamental structures do not provide you with tools required to tackle crime prevention properly, and remember it's prevention that will be the main way you will bring the growth of crime under control.
01:19:09Now, how do you get the communities involved? How do you get the people involved as if they own the society? You have to set up the government differently, so we the citizens are the owners in fact, rather than in theory.
01:19:23Right now we are running a kind of colonial, dictatorial kind of government run by the Prime Minister or whoever is the Prime Minister, whether it's Rowley or Kamala or whoever. That kind of thing simply creates alienation because the people are not able to function as though we are running our society.
01:19:42We don't carve it off to the cabinet according to our constitution. We run an executive government and so we carve it off to the cabinet. And when criminality emerges, what do you see? Prime Minister and Commissioner of Police commenting on it. The Parliament is left out of the conversation in any structured way.
01:20:03The Parliament is not set up in such a way that both government and opposition could take responsibility because the whole Parliament is dominated by the cabinet. Now that is a prescription for trouble forever, both on the economic front and on the criminal front.
01:20:21My point to the society is the way we are doing business today just sets us up as sitting ducks for more and more criminality down the road with the kind of economy we are running. The failure to live life is far and developed. And the failure to do something serious about the economy in Tobago.
01:20:41Let me remind you, in the last 10 years, 11 years, from 2012 to today, the economy in Tobago has simply declined steadily. In 2021, we removed the PNM for that incompetence. In 2022, we created a 2% collapse. In 2022-2023, the overall collapse was 1.1%. The Tobago economy is still in doldrums.
01:21:07This kind of incompetence is tied closely to the way we have set up ourselves to learn from the society. Just to make the last point. So we are not only failing with our information flows in criminality alone. We are not getting enough information. And Dr. Rowley gets to say, well, we are not collaborating enough with the police.
01:21:27The way the whole government is organized, the people cannot collaborate well with the government because all the decisions, there is no real mechanism for parliamentary oversight of the cabinet. So no proper mechanisms for hearings in which the citizens get to weigh in and so on.
01:21:45So all of those mean that in making government decisions, period, whether you're talking about crime or something else, there is an inadequate flow of information between the society and the government. And it's not about crime alone. The whole problem has to be solved by restructuring the way the government is organized.
01:22:06Restructuring government, there is an inertia to restructure government, an inertia to restructure our education system, as you mentioned, because the powers that be may not be the powers that be if we do, in fact, do that. Dr. Varner-James, if it was up to me, I would give you the whole two hours and we'd continue our discussion. But unfortunately, we have to cut the interview here. I want to thank you so much for, of course, joining us this morning and, of course, sharing your very pertinent views. Thank you so much.
01:22:36You're welcome. All the best to you, Dr. James. You too. Well, to our viewers, we have got to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
01:22:43Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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01:23:48What's up, you guys? I am Ren. And I'm Kim. Welcome to Conversations with Ren and Kim. On our show, we dive deep into the stories that matter. From inspiring individuals making a difference to experts sharing their insights on the latest trends and topics. We're here to spark conversations that challenge, inspire, and entertain. Whether it's about art, culture, technology, or everyday life, we've got you covered.
01:24:14So join us every Saturday for conversations and unforgettable moments. See you there!
01:24:44Don't fall into the school for your child doing the same thing.
01:24:49Recognize that as a parent, you are one of the biggest influencers on your child's life. You have to acknowledge that your actions and choices can impact your child's development and growth.
01:25:03Take time to account for any consequences your actions may have on your child and always acknowledge that responsibility before saying or doing anything. Your actions speak louder than your words. But, at the end of the day, do your best.
01:25:23Share if you found this useful and like and follow CTA's profile for more parenting tips as we go through the ABCs of parenting.
01:25:53Welcome back Trinidad and Tobago.
01:26:20The IDSI Foundation is a local CSO which has been in operation since 2017. They deliver educational, knowledge, and awareness programs that promote sustainable development and consultancy services to support the operationalization of CSR and ESG management systems.
01:26:40To tell us more about the IDSI Foundation, we're joined by Nadia Rodda, the Founding Director, Social Educator, Sustainable Strategic Waste Management. And we're joined by Talia Mohamed, who's Director, Climate Expert, and Sustainable Development Specialist. Thank you ladies so much for joining us.
01:27:05Good morning. Hello, good morning. So I just wanted to remind our viewers that they would know both Talia and Nadia from a couple stories or a series that we did while you were at the Emancipation Village last year.
01:27:23You all, of course, highlighted flying trees, benches made from recycled plastic. And then there was that tumble composter. I can't remember his name, but it was something fun. Captain Tuna from Central Pathfinders Environmental. Right. And then there was that water fountain that is used for events that, you know, you come with your own cup, reusable cup, and it cuts down plastic bottles at fests and parties.
01:27:52If I remember correctly, by the millions. Yes, that's Hydra Station. Yes. Okay. So maybe Hydra Station. That's right. So let's start off first by telling us about the IDSI Foundation.
01:28:07Well, IDSI Foundation is a local CSO that develops and delivers programs and services to support sustainable development, as well as the circular economy. So we are strategically connecting communities and businesses to the circular economy through three programs that we deliver, which one is the Know Our Money program in the circular economy.
01:28:34And then we also have Separate to Co-Create and Reality Check on Digital Tech. These are three of our social programs and our NGO is run as a social enterprise where we deliver services of value to businesses and the resources gained from there. This is our earned income strategy to support our social initiatives.
01:28:58So Natalia, what is the circular economy and the circular society?
01:29:28It has to do with, you know, integration and systemic transition from this linear way that we make products. And, you know, we've gone into this world where it's just very highly buy and throw away attitude, as well as companies have actually been making products called planned obsolescence, so that they're less useful, they have a shorter lifespan. So we tend to have no choice but to throw it away.
01:29:55So we want to make sure that in a closed loop system, which is the circular economy, that we have access to products that last longer, but also they have the ability to any waste that's generated from products are reused in a circular closed loop system, especially when it comes to the value chain of electronics, batteries, vehicles.
01:30:17We all know the biggest problem on the planet right now is plastics. We have a highly competitive world and lifestyle right now, with all the shipping and movement of packages across the world. And of course, you know, construction and buildings and food waste are highly reusable waste items that are generated.
01:30:37So it's really about closing the loop and ensuring that there's at least zero waste being generated in the circular economy. It cannot happen without wealth, technology, power and systems and people changing behaviours.
01:30:53And Nadia, why do you consider it a need that businesses should transition to the circular economy slash society model?
01:31:03Okay, so globally, we are seeing that there is this call for the transition towards more circular systems because of the fact that there is this, the risk, the threat about global warming.
01:31:18And as a matter of fact, you know, at least 45% of the energy that is used to create products, the products that we made, 45% of energy that is globally generated comes from the way we use and make products, right?
01:31:36So if companies streamline and transition away from that system, wherein there's just take, make and dispose towards a system where it is take, make and reuse and recycle and integrating design systems into their model, you know, there is the opportunity to reduce the wastage of energy, right?
01:32:03Because every product requires energy to produce, right? And we are also seeing the impact now of global warming. We have seen the recent barrel hurricane system that people are saying, oh, you know, it's so large, it's so unnatural and it just released energy throughout the systems.
01:32:25Right? And so we have a responsibility to be mindful of how we do what we do and cause and effect. Now, there are many domino factors that are in play, right? But globally, there is a call to reduce the volume of CO2 or carbon emissions and waste, proper waste management is one way in which we can do so, right?
01:32:51And so it's, it's steps towards, you know, greater domino moves, you know, as people speak about the domino effect. So yeah, we want to encourage businesses to better implement waste management system that reduces the volume of waste that is generated, materials removed from making products that are weak and obsolete, right?
01:33:16So that products last longer, and there is less waste at the end of it.
01:33:22And you get more than more than one use like single-use plastic, like plastic forks, for instance, you just use it and dispose of it. Yeah, that's your pet peeve, right?
01:33:33Yeah, yes, the single-use plastic world we live in is really telling of the times that we are in where people not recognizing that every single thing you do generates carbon. And all that carbon, that's excessive carbon that's in the atmosphere, as Nadia was rightly saying, all that carbon is adding to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
01:33:54And, you know, we in the Caribbean, we're bearing the brunt of climate change. And unless we change, you know, there is mitigation that needs to be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is one of the most important things of transitioning to the circular economy and circular society. So in essence, we reduce our carbon footprint, but we have to adapt as well.
01:34:18If we change, the world changes. But you talk to restoratives, you talk to just basically any manufacturer out there, any merchandise out there, and they'll tell you that plastic is the cheapest thing to use. And when their profits are being affected, that is their choice. They choose to go the more, according to them, economical way. Is this a gap? And what other gaps and barriers have been identified in the circular economy?
01:34:48So go ahead, Nadia.
01:34:51Yeah, well, locally, there have been some research done by various entities, including COSTAT, in partnership with the Kruppel Foundation, where they have identified that some of the gaps that businesses indicate are affecting them.
01:35:07You know, transitioning is not easy, particularly when you have existing systems that is hinged on economic models to generate income for your business, right? So some say that, okay, we don't have the means to do so. Others say we do not have the technical know-how.
01:35:27And others also indicate that the culture of how we do what we do is what restrains us from moving forward. So there are layers of barriers, right? But it's important to be able to look at it and say, hey, we cannot afford to not address these barriers, right?
01:35:50So we have been looking at all these barriers and saying, okay, how can we as a nation, because when you want to implement CE systems, you can't just take what's happening in the Netherlands and in Canada and bring it to our local landscape.
01:36:09We have to look and see what is unique to our cultural profile, even our topography. You know, we need to look through the lens of how we do what we do, right? What motivates our nation? Culture. So, okay, if the culture is not there, how can we leverage, you know, the culture that we experience and integrate?
01:36:34Integrate. Yes. Everything takes resources to so do. And so we need to have a integrated approach where we have, yes, policies, but yes, also the agreement.
01:36:47So we have just about two more minutes for this interview. I just want to get Talia in on the work that the Ideas Eye Foundation has been doing to support the circular economy.
01:37:00So thus far, you know, we've been doing a lot of capacity building and training. And thank you for having us here as well, too, so we could speak to the nation. It's very important what Nadia was talking about, where we look at this and how we can do it locally.
01:37:13And I think the most important work we have been doing thus far is raising awareness and having the conversation about it. Changing behaviors is not easy. Changing of systems needs that change of behavior. And our capacity building is quite important to this.
01:37:28We are also offering services to actually support waste management compliance that has been instituted in Trinidad and Tobago called the Waste Management Rules and Fees. And there are more policies that have been passed as well as more legislation to come.
01:37:42And the first step, I think, on our journey is to get the private sector to recognize that one thing you can do is pay attention to your waste management and participate in this regulation because the regulation will help you identify how it is that you could actually streamline waste coming out of your company to be recouped by many processes that we have in the country that we all invite you down to, you know, Circular City at TIC to come experience.
01:38:09And when you start to take those steps to recognize the waste you're generating, you might even identify wastage on products you're ordering that you don't necessarily need.
01:38:19So the first thing we're trying to get people to do is get compliant with the Waste Management Rules and Fees. Get in touch with us. We will walk you through the process. It's a 16-page document that you have to fill out a form.
01:38:32And, you know, it's really telling that the government is responding to the needs of the circular economy by doing this legislation. And there are service providers and a lot of capacity, even in the non-profit sector, to support this transition.
01:38:48And more so, we want to make sure we take it down to the community. So once you work with us, we have community projects that we need to support to roll out. And one of the most promising examples I think right now is Super Farm and what they are doing, working with partners like Flying Tree that you mentioned, to support that collection that we need of this waste in order to help this manufacturing process to get new products into the market that are made properly.
01:39:17And that shows and demonstrates that we can do it locally. We just need the impetus and the will to do it. And we're hoping that, you know, that soon comes and all the players that are needed, the private sector, the citizens, the government, the news and the media, and all the educators to get involved in this conversation.
01:39:40Be the change you want to see in this world. Of course, Nadia Rada, she's the founding director, social educator, sustainability strategist, waste management expert, Talia Mohammed, director, climate expert, and sustainable development specialist. All the information is on the screen. Please feel free to reach out to them. And also, when you visit the TIC, look out for the Ideas I Foundation. And we thank you all so much for joining us and, of course, sharing and continuing all the work that you do.
01:40:11Thanks so much. Have a good day.
01:40:13To our viewers, it's now time for a quick break. We'll be right back with much more.
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01:41:26In 2023 in Pune, India, we won TNT's first international crown in 25 years. Best talent for the steel pan. And we embraced the environment. Now we dedicate our platform to the well-being of Earth. As Team Miss and Mrs. Representatives compete for three crowns and raise awareness on climate change. This is pageantry for the planet.
01:41:52The Miss India Worldwide TNT Pageant 2024. Trinidad, Hilton. July 14th. Presented by the Meena House at Neal Karina.
01:42:23Welcome back Trinidad and Tobago. We're switching gears a little bit now. It's now time for our author's corner where we're joined by via Zoom with author Troy Pumal. Mr. Pumal, thank you so much for joining us this morning.
01:42:37Good morning.
01:42:42I'm going to ask you to speak up a bit because the audio just went low again. So just speak up a bit. One and two. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into writing.
01:42:52How did I get into writing? I started writing since I could write actually. In school I started getting in trouble for going over the word count. But when I got serious was around 2020 when I just started writing a short story because I just felt like it.
01:43:16Because it was the pandemic.
01:43:18Yeah, I was bored. I had a bunch of video games. I play all that. And it's strange but I actually got the idea for my first story from a song. So I was listening to some song. It was just classical piano or something like that. And I started writing.
01:43:38And then I sent it to my aunt and she read it and she was the one who hyped me up. She was like, Oh my God, this is so great and stuff and started sending it to other people. And one thing led to the next and that's where the first book came out from.
01:43:52So, but a little bit about your background, where you're from, family life. What was it like growing up? What did you do before you started to write?
01:44:07Well, what I have been doing, I still do. I have my actual job. So I was doing that, I'm still doing that. Background, I went to, I'm from Degomartin right now, I live in Baratale. I don't know what much to say about me honestly.
01:44:30Like life growing up, how did that influence your love for, I assume you read as well and write, yeah?
01:44:37Of course. Now, before I could read, when I was, well, before I could read, my grandmother, my mother and my grandmother used to always read to me every single night. Every single night.
01:44:51So the moment I could read, you know, the first thing I want to do is I want to pick up a book and start to read to her. Well, even in standard two, I was reading Stephen King.
01:45:03And the teacher was like, hey, no, you don't understand what's going on. So I put down the whole book for her. So yeah, I always loved reading. I love stories. So I guess reading is a medium, especially at my time. So that's how I get into reading. And then I wanted to tell my own stories as well and get into writing.
01:45:28So your first inspiration was that song, that classical music, but what do you like to write? What does your portfolio look like?
01:45:37Horror. Horror, horror, horror. Stephen King. Yeah, Stephen King was one of my first favorites. My other favorite is Anne Rice. So it was always horror, right on the line.
01:45:56The thing is, though, I usually use horror as a medium to tell the story that I really want to tell, if that makes sense. So it might be about a souvenir, a large obelisk, whatever the case may be. I use those things as the medium to tell my actual story. The story is always about the character, not the monster.
01:46:19So you dabble in local folklore?
01:46:22Oh, I do. More than dabble. I have three published books. The Devil's Playground, Another Caribbean Folklore Tales, Shadowing the Moon, and Boards and Jumbles. Right? The first one and the third one are collections of short stories that are all based on local folklore.
01:46:45Are you able, at this point, I should have asked you before, but are you able to read an excerpt for us? Do you have any books handy that you can, maybe one of your favorites?
01:46:56Maybe. Yes, but we'll have to talk in the meantime until that comes through.
01:47:06Okay, yeah. So we'll just chat a little bit until you get your hands on that book. So you did mention you like to dabble a little bit into the folklore. What has the response been like to your publications?
01:47:18People generally love it because it's not just folklore, but there's a different spin on it. As I said, all these stories are character-based. So generally people love it.
01:47:41Is it targeted towards children or adult readers? Is there an age group?
01:47:47The first book, okay. So the first book is Devil's Playground. I got that copy.
01:47:54Thanks, Dad, for bringing it across.
01:47:58I don't know. I'm trying to get it out of the blue.
01:48:02Yes. Devil's Playground, yes. And Other Caribbean Folklore Tales, yes.
01:48:06So the first book, I was just writing. As I said, I was just writing. I had no idea if I was going to get published or self-publish. So no, the first book is pretty gory and it's horror to the fullest.
01:48:27The third one, yes. The third one can be about zombies, which I do not have a copy of, I'm sorry. Yes, the third one can be team-friendly.
01:48:43If you're into Stephen King, yeah.
01:48:48That's a really small crowd, though, I assume.
01:48:52So you're able to read an excerpt for us?
01:48:58I am. Now, you'll have to give me a moment.
01:49:03Yes.
01:49:04Because I don't really read my own stuff.
01:49:07Really?
01:49:09Well, at least not out loud. Over and over, yes, I do read it. Over and over.
01:49:15But not out loud?
01:49:17Yes, I have this perfection. I try to not read it over and over. Because every time I read it, I'm like, oh my god, I want to change this.
01:49:26Make changes, yeah.
01:49:27So I try to not read it.
01:49:28So yeah, I mean, that's actually a good thing. I had that thing as well, you know. Same thing with stories. When I do a story and every time I look at it, I see a way that it could be made better.
01:49:40And one of my mentors, Sonia Moore, she said that's a good thing. That shows that, you know, you are growing and you have growth and there will always be more to work towards.
01:49:51So not exactly a bad thing there, Troy.
01:49:54Yeah.
01:49:56Right. This, okay, this is, I found one. This one is one of my favorites. I'm trying to find it.
01:50:09I have one of my real, real, real favorite favorites.
01:50:15Which is BH85.
01:50:24All right. No place for Cherron.
01:50:28What I'm going to do.
01:50:35Right.
01:50:39All right. So this is somewhere in the middle of Act One.
01:50:42All right.
01:51:12We substantially hold place.
01:51:42Which made me inexplicably less nervous to be around.
01:51:47Is your little brother looking for it? She asked. You should tell him to stop playing by that old house by the river. He finished. Not giving me the chance to ask her about how she knew that.
01:51:58I stood there in silence, not knowing how to respond. The fact was, even though I didn't show it, I thought she was so pretty it made me nervous.
01:52:12I wanted to be the cool big brother so that I was fed up of talking to him. Something like that.
01:52:18All I managed was, why? She appeared completely ignorant of my growing nervousness and simply replied, they have twins living there.
01:52:29All righty, Troy. That was, that was, it was, it was very vivid. Like I could actually see it. How do we get our hands on the copies of your books?
01:52:40Okay, so this one, The Devil's Playground is, oh gosh, let me get out of the blue thingy. Right.
01:52:49The Devil's Playground can be found in, besides on Amazon, they are all on Amazon.
01:52:54Can be found in R.I.K., Niger Can, Construct Booksellers, and Scribbles and Quilts. Booksellers, that's a nice little, a nice little bookstore in Shopowners.
01:53:10So, we also have your information on the screen, your Facebook, Kratos Permal, and Instagram, Troy Unwritten.
01:53:19So, you know, if you all, if our viewers, if you need more information, or if you missed the locations, please hit him up on IG or Facebook.
01:53:28Troy, you just have a few seconds remaining. Would you like to speak to your fans out there?
01:53:35I hope I don't have fans out there.
01:53:38After this interview, you would.
01:53:43That's the hope, right? I have one more book coming. I don't know if I can put the information up on screen.
01:53:50The book, Partum, that will be my first actual novel. That's coming in 2025. That is a mixture of sci-fi, horror, a lot of things, and it's all based in Trinidad. Everything I write is based in Trinidad.
01:54:02I just have to say, yeah, we have to close this interview here. I want to thank you so much for joining us, but I'm certainly one of those fans, and I need to find out the rest of that story.
01:54:13Troy Permal, let me thank you so much, and continue doing what you do. You're definitely talented.
01:54:18Thank you.
01:54:20All right, it's now time for a quick break. We'll be right back.
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01:55:33Well, welcome back to Trinidad and Tobago. That brings us to the end of our show. Before we leave you, we share with you this image. Top of the morning to you, TNT.
01:55:42Thank you.
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