A cutlass-wielding man appeared in front of the home of Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo in Fyzabad with a message for both him and Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander.

Sources told Newsday the incident happened on the evening of May 24. The man wearing dark clothes and riding a bicycle asked to speak to a female relative at the home.

He told the woman to tell Tancoo that he had a message for Alexander. He said there was an upsurge in crime in Fyzabad and demanded immediate action from the minister.

He warned the minister that better security was needed and “doh stay home.”

He then left on his bike.

A report was made to the police who immediately responded and searched the area, but the man could not be found.

Newsday called the finance minister who acknowledged that an incident took place at his home, but he declined further comment.

Tancoo, the MP for Fyzabad. and Alexander were sworn in as ministers on May 3 at President’s House, St Ann’s.

[caption id="attachment_1157106" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]

Newsday understands that patrols near Tancoo’s house have been increased and security has been beefed up as officers investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Efforts to contact Alexander on May 25 were futile as calls to his cellphone went unanswered. Calls to the Prime Minister were also unanswered up to press time.

CoP: Zero-tolerance for threats

Commissioner of police Junior Benjamin said the police is taking a no-tolerance stance against people making threats to ministers or people in public life. In a telephone interview with Newsday on May 25, he said, “To approach any minister with something like that or with any weapon, that in itself is a violation and we will deal with it within the full measure of the law. That cannot and will not happen. Not on my watch.”

[caption id="attachment_1157107" align="alignnone" width="957"] Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin -[/caption]

Benjamin said safety and security is a necessity for all citizens, but more so for those who were called to serve in public office.

“It is a responsibility that we have to ensure the safety of these individuals, especially those who serve in government. We are going to look at it and ensure that a proper follow-up is done.”

He said there are certain ministers who have a security detail through the Guard and Emergency Branch, but ministers can also make applications for security details.

“Once a minister is of the opinion that their lives are under threat, there is a process that we can go through to ensure that the necessary security is given to those ministers.

“We are taking every threat seriously, therefore once something like that is reported and the minister feels as if his or her life is in danger, there is a particular protocol that is followed where we do threat analysis and we put the appropriate measures in place.”

Crime in Fyzabad/Penal

The incident at Tancoo’s home was one