MORE AND more infrastructure is being built by authorities in Tobago to help the island nip crime in the bud.

This cannot come soon enough given recent developments in the island, including the third murder recorded over the Easter weekend.

Tourism is the mainstay of Tobago's economy and the island relies on its idyllic reputation more so than most. Brand Tobago is inconsistent with violence and gang warfare.

Yet, the changing face of crime is such that a few months ago, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine signalled the Tobago House of Assembly's wish to commission its first department of public safety and security to deal with crime and criminality on the island.

Since them, Mr Augustine has been dealing with developments relating to the definition of political party lines in his newly 'independent' administration, but the policy shift he outlined on crime is nonetheless a notable one given how the roles and functions of the THA have been traditionally defined and circumscribed.

We think of national security matters as being solely for the remit of a central government, with input, undoubtedly, from Tobago officials.

Such thinking, though, is clearly now being challenged not only by continued murders in the island but also the response of authorities outside of people like Mr Augustine.

Last May, police officials revealed plans to set up a Tobago Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit to deal with fraud and similar matters that have been handled in Trinidad by police units like the Fraud Squad.

Operationalisation of such policies now fall entirely within Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher's remit. But the commissioner will come under pressure to do more than open new offices.

Certainly, officers in Tobago should not, generally, have to depend on their Trinidadian counterparts to be effective in their mandate to protect and serve with pride. There is already enough bureaucracy and red tape in public service life and we could do without inefficiencies relating to the arbitrary division of labour based on jurisdictional turf.

We are one country and there is no reason why departments of the police should not be seamlessly linked across both islands.

However, the realities are such that it is likely that such synergies are more theoretical than practical.

How many prosecutorial files, for instance, must be shipped by investigators from Scarborough to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in downtown Port of Spain?

How many end-users interacting with officers are often told to check with authorities in Trinidad?

It is precisely because of the vagaries of the political situation in Tobago that we need to see more specialist and definitive efforts there to tackle crime. And the people best suited to do this are actually Tobagonians with both institutional knowledge and grassroots connections. Therefore, it is a good thing to give the island more responsibility.