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Then candidate for Tunapuna Roger Alexander greets a family's dog during a election campaign walkabout in the constituency on April 1, 2025. Alexander is now Minister of Homeland Security. FILE PHOTO/FAITH AYOUNG - HOMELAND Security Minister Roger Alexander says dogs could be the first weapon which people use to protect themselves and their families from home invasions even as he acknowledged that not every person may be able to access firearms.
He made this observation while responding to questions during a stand-your-ground (SYG) consultation at UNC Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal's constituency office, Debe Junction on August 5.
Alexander's statement prompted a constituent to claim people in certain communities in Oropouche East had been quietly paying a private security firm to protect their homes for a year and a half and it was now getting difficult to continue to do so.
Moonilal read the first question at the consultation on his cell phone.
"Does the SYG legislation cover the actions of my dangerous dogs?"
Moonilal found the question to interesting and continued to read.
"Meaning if someone comes into my well-secured yard...breaks into my house and the dangerous dog bites and kills the intruder...would it be covered under the legislation or would I be charged?"
Alexander nodded his head as Moonilal said the question posed an interesting perspective.
Moonilal said, "We are talking about all the weapons you could have...whether it is the cutlass, the baton, the bilnah...whatever you may have the fella...the fella with a dog.
He told the audience about a particular constituent who had a dog.
Moonilal told Alexander, "The name of the dog Mr Alexander is 'Jesus.'"
He added the constituent has said "and when he (intruder) come in...when the intruder comes...Jesus will deal with you."
Taking the microphone, Alexander said, "Let me answer that question early and I like to put things into context."
He continued.
"You have a security guard and you have a security guard at your home...somebody invades...what you expect him to do?"
Responding to a comment from the audience, Alexander said, "Replace it (security guard) with a dog...it means the same thing."
The dog, he continued, "is the first line of defence."
Alexander said, "I had a friend who had some geese and they were as bad as dogs. it could amount to the same thing."
He added, "Once you have that first line of defence and you could handle the stories then you don't need to go further.
Alexander said, "The dog is your first line of defence in protection of yourself...your castle...your family."
Government Senator Anil Roberts acknowledged Alexander's comments about people having dogs instead of weapons to defend themselves against criminals.
Roberts painted a scenario where criminals used poisoned meat to kill a homeowners's dogs to facilitate a later home invasion.
He asked if this could be catered for in the legislation.
Alexander said, "That's a very good point because you know they would poison your dog because your first line of defence is gone."
He told the audience this was the kind of feedback government is hoping for with respect to the SYG consultations.
"Let us think outside the box...not already what is inside the box."
Alexander acknowledged not every person may be able to access firearms or other weapons to defend themselves.
The Dangerous Dogs Act was assented to on August 11, 2000, but it was not proclaimed into law until years later.
The legislation was passed to address the issue of dangerous dogs, particularly certain breeds, to regulate how they are kept and ensuring they are properly controlled and do not pose a serious danger to the public.
The Pitbull Terrier, Fila Brasileiro and the Japanese Tosa or dogs bred from any of these species were defined as dangerous dogs under the original Act.
Resident: Bring comfort patrols back
In posing a question to Alexander, Moonilal and attorneys sitting at the head table, Cuchawan Trace resident Gunness Ramdeen said, "You say everybody have to have dogs to protect themselves."
He added people in Cuchawan Trace and surrounding areas do not have dogs "because we have families...children...it's an open floor.
Ramdeen claimed, "We protect ourselves by paying a private security (firm)...going house to house in Cuchawan Trace....Ramsamooj Trace...Chester Street...Soomai Trace...and surrounding areas ...to ask for $100 per house...to protect ourselves from 10 (pm) to 5 (am)."
He said there used to be community (comfort) patrols in the area.
"We have no more."
Ramdeen said, "We organised a group where we have to collect money from certain people every month. We have to collect a fee to pay a private security (firm) to protect our family."
He added, "It's really getting unfair."
Ramdeen said many residents in Cuchawan Trace were former Cepep, URP and Works and Transport Ministry workers.
"They are out of jobs."
Ramdeen said, "When I go to ask for money right now from a person ...from a single parent...oh we have to buy school books...how are we going to protect (our families)?"
Since the UNC assumed office in April, some 10,700 workers have been fired from Cepep.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath, the line minister for Cepep, said the company would need to be audited for the next six months to determine the way forward for it.
Ramdeen claimed that was a crisis being faced in the communities he mentioned earlier.
"I am representing the people here because it is the first time that we getting a minister in front of us to take our words..at what's happening in our street.
Ramdeen said the communities had not been in the news because there was no crime.
He repeated this is because for the "past year and a half, we have been paying for security to protect us and now it's getting a little difficult for payments."
Ramdeen called for a return of community comfort patrols and police patrols in the areas he mentioned.
He said this will take the burden off all the people "who are paying this money for private security."
Ramdeen also complained police officers do not patrol communities in Oropouche East but are out between 7 and 8 am daily to award tickets to people.
"As eight o'clock come, they (police) pack up shop and they gone."
Another resident claimed police driving around with flashing blue lights, tell criminals where not to be.
He suggested police drive around in "undercover cars" to apprehend criminals.
Alexander reminded the audience that home invasion is not a random act.
"It's organised crime."
A former police officer, Alexander said elements leading up to a home invasion could include surveillance of the intended victim and people working in financial institutions relaying information about the victim's finances to their criminal counterparts.
He added this is why people need to "sharpen their mind"
Alexander said, "Let's wise up."
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Darrell Allahar and attorney Gerald Ramdeen repeated the legislation was only designed to help people to protect themselves.
"Allahar said, "This legislation is not a licence to kill."
He cautioned citizens about listening to views from some people who claim SYG legislation would create a law of the jungle scenario in TT.
"The law of the jungle is what we are living in right now."
Allahar said SYG legislation would bring TT out of the jungle and back into safer territory.
Ramdeen repeated the legislation identified home invasion as a criminal offence for the first time in law.
"It is about time that we deal with these monsters."
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