Leadership crisis in Trinidad and Tobago is causing chaos and confusion- Gary Griffith

Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith stated that the leadership crisis in Trinidad and Tobago is causing chaos and confusion. He was referring to the massive traffic gridlock that happened on Thursday.

He said the massive gridlock in the West of Trinidad was due primarily to the lack of coordination between the police and Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Works and Ministry of Public Utilities.

He said it was no different to the Day of Total Policing and the nationwide blackout when complete chaos and confusion became the order of the day, coupled with an absence of communication and coordination amongst relevant bodies.

Former Police Commissioner said one can also refer to the tragedy involving the divers at Paria, when yet again, with no one taking command and control to coordinate and make informed decisions, for 72 hours, nothing was done that inevitably led to their deaths.

"One could refer to how such incidents were dealt with from 2018 to 2021, including Carnival 2020, where not one major incident was reported, or the massive flood in Chaguanas that virtually divided the country for hours, or the well-planned riots involving 33 simultaneous blocking of roads and 150 men walking into Port of Spain to vandalize the nation's capital. All effectively managed and controlled," said Griffith.

While referring to all the above-mentioned incidents, Griffith stated that the difference then was proper coordination and communication via the use of the National Operations Centre, which was designed for such incidents. He said the coordination ensured that inconvenience was at a minimum through proper coordination and communication by relevant bodies.

He accused the government and current police chief of lack of organization, communication and coordination, negatively impacting the National community.

He said various law enforcement do not seem to employ any operating system designed to minimize inconvenience or fear.

"In my tenure, the team employed the use of the TTPS app, nationwide text messages and hourly updates to the public to ensure an efficient response and management structure," said the former police commissioner.

He stated that the newly established Police Service Commission does not even have a single qualified or experienced person in law enforcement.

Gary Griffith said that people would see further confusion, frustration and unforced errors in most aspects of governance due to a void in leadership and poor planning.