Just weeks before Christmas, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is doubling down on her promise to restore security and uplift communities — handing over repaired police vehicles by day, and by night renewing commitments to faith-based development. Here's the story.
00:00Just days into the Christmas season, the Prime Minister is playing what some are calling Santa with a security mission.
00:08At a simple handover ceremony this afternoon at the Wimcot compound, she delivered 10 refurbished police vehicles to acting police commissioner Junior Benjamin, the first of 50 who government intends to return to the TTPS before Christmas.
00:24She said the 10 vehicles were parked up between two months to two years, unable to be of any use to the TTPS in the fight against criminal elements.
00:35The Prime Minister said when her administration took office in April, nearly 500 police vehicles were found abandoned or in disrepair across the country.
00:45Many required, she said, only minor fixes, tires, brakes or simple mechanical work, yet remained idle for years.
00:54One week ago, she said she directed the transport minister to work with Wimcot to repair the vehicles so police can use them in real time.
01:04Wimcot retrieved the vehicles from private garages and completed 10 repairs in just one week.
01:10Forty more are expected to be restored before Christmas, a period the Prime Minister warns will see increased criminal activity.
01:18She says the state can repair as many as 100 vehicles early into the new year, which will be a big boost to the police in dealing with crime.
01:28But the Prime Minister's gift of giving didn't end there.
01:32Just one year after addressing the full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship as opposition leader, the Prime Minister returned to the organization last evening, this time as the nation's leader.
01:44She described the moment as one of gratitude and divine purpose.
01:49Quoting a scripture from the book of James, she said national leadership must reflect humility, justice and compassion, principles she tied to the message of Christmas.
02:01She praised the fellowship for its work in prayer crusades, community outreach and supporting struggling families.
02:07And Prime Minister Passat-Bissassar reaffirmed two promises she made to the group.
02:13Support for a church-led school rooted in Christian values and the creation of a faith-based credit union to uplift families and small businesses.
02:23She invited the group to submit detailed proposals to be examined with the quote-unquote care and diligence they deserve.
02:31She said both initiatives align with her administration's vision of a nation grounded in discipline, opportunity and faith-driven community building, a message she believes is especially meaningful during the Christmas season.
02:47And as the holiday season ramps up, she is promising more deliveries, both to law enforcement and to the nation's spiritual and social pillars.
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