The National Transformation Alliance (NTA) says the National Security Council (NSC) has failed to and is unable to deal with crime, and the Prime Minister has admitted as much.

The NTA, a political party led by former commissioner of police Gary Griffith, made the claim in response to a statement issued by Rowley on Saturday on the burgeoning crime problem.

The PM said while the crime prevention plans and strategies by the police and the wider security services have not been satisfactory, the country remains focused on getting better results.

Rowley appealed to the public to assist in this fight by providing as much information as you are able to so that the security service personnel can get ahead of the criminals.

But the NTA says the PM's statement was “lacking any form or structure, any plans or policies."

"This is in line with his style of governance since he has now laid the groundwork to blame citizens for his government’s failure to deal with crime because citizens are not doing what he asks.

The NTA blamed Rowley for the escalation of illegal firearms in TT, saying he failed to properly secure the borders. And although illegal firearms were used in most murders, he seemed focused on stopping people from getting legal firearms.

“His (Rowley) statement, ‘We have certain operations in place,’ reveals just how misguided he is, as the NSC's mandate pertains to plans and policies, not operations. This also exposes his dictatorial inclinations, as he once again encroaches on the independence of the TTPS in his pursuit of a police state.”

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