2 weeks ago
4
Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander - FORMER Minister of National Security Gary Griffith has told Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander that leadership in security was not merely about crime reduction but also about reducing the fear of crime.
Griffith, a former Commissioner of Police, issued a media release on November 3 in relation to comments Alexander made about accessing information via social media.
Alexander advised the public to “stop going to social media for guidance.”
He was speaking on November 2 at a function in Tunapuna as he condemned what he described as misinformation spread on social media on October 31 concerning reports of the Defence Force being on high alert and all military personnel being ordered to report to their bases by 6 pm that day.
Alexander said misinformation spread on social media which caused panic and confusion among the population.
When asked by the media outside Parliament on October 31 about soldiers and Coast Guard officers having to report to base that day, Alexander seemingly downplayed the issue and said it was a normal exercise. He added that a protest outside Parliament had been expected.
Minsiter of Defence Wayne Sturge also declined to confirm that day in Parliament whether TT Defence Force personnel had been ordered to return to base.
Gary Griffith -
Sturge said, "Mr Speaker, in keeping with the tenets of 27 (g), I respectfully beg to decline to giving an answer."
According to Standing Order 27 (g), a minister may decline to answer a question if, in his opinion, the publication of the answer would be contrary to the public interest.
Sturge told another media house on November 2 that the military exercise was a drill to test preparedness. He later told Newsday, "The Honourable Prime Minister will be briefed on an actual Stage 1 deployment or other significant operations and not every single exercise aimed at preparedness."
In his release, Griffith said every right-thinking citizen wants Alexander to succeed, but that support should not be blind.
“Minister Roger Alexander’s recent assertion that the public has ‘no right to listen to or take note’ of information on social media is deeply misguided and demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how modern communication and public sentiment operate.”
Griffith said social media was one of the primary ways in which citizens “receive, share, and respond” to information in the digital era.
He said to dismiss that was to ignore the way today’s world functions.
“When misinformation circulates and causes fear or confusion, it becomes the duty of the government – and in this case, especially the Ministry of Homeland Security – to clarify, guide, and reassure the public.
“You cannot simply label social media ‘rubbish’ and move on. If the nation is being misled, then leadership requires stepping forward to correct falsehoods and restore calm, not mocking or trivialising legitimate public concern,” he said.
Griffith said while social media posts worsened widespread national panic about military personnel being called to their bases, it was fuelled by factual developments: the Defence Force being called back to camp, the police also doing something similar, and international reports from the Miami Herald that a US attack on Venezuela was imminent.
There should have been proactive communication and reassurance from the State instead of silence, Griffith said.
Alexander’s response in the aftermath seemed to be one of ridicule of the public’s concerns and reactions, Griffith added.
“Minister Alexander, the role of leadership in security is not merely to reduce crime statistics – it is also to reduce the fear of crime.
"Citizens deserve timely, factual updates that help them feel safe, not comedy skits and dismissive remarks which reminds them of the worst Minister of National Security in our country’s history who infamously said: 'No, my duty is not to ensure that people feel safe and secure.'”
He urged Alexander to learn from what he described as the missteps of former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and former Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds.
“Leadership requires humility and service, not showmanship. This is why what the public needs now is competence, communication, and confidence that their government is both informed and responsive,” Griffith said.
English (US) ·