THE Prime Minister said crime was not the only issue that the Government is dealing with but all issues will affect the interests of the population.

Dr Rowley gave the assurance that as Government does all in its power to fight crime, it will not allow the Opposition UNC and its friends to distract the population away from all matters which are important to them.

He made those statements during a PNM public meeting at Tropical Angel Harps Pan Yard, Enterprise, Chaguanas on Thursday night.

Rowley comments came as TT recorded its 100th murder in 2024 on Thursday morning in just 67 days this year.

The country's 100th murder victim this year was Richard "Manison" Mark who was killed on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, hours after surviving an attempt on his life on Wednesday night in Trincity.

On Thursday night, Rowley said, "In this age where truth is dying as a national discourse, they (UNC) would have you believe, that the problem we having with crime is as a result of Rowley and his government."

He told his audience about an experience he had in 1986 when he had to defend his wife Sharon and himself from a knife-wielding bandit in an early-morning attack at his home. She was five months pregnant at the time.

"Thank God I survived that and I am here to be talking to you tonight."

He reminded PNM supporters that people were killed in the Prime Minister's Residence in St Ann's when Basdeo Panday was prime minister.

Rowley said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar demonstrated poor judgement as prime minister in dealing with crime.

"The crime flared up to the point where she in a panic declared a state of emergency. The solution to that flare up was to lock up black people left, right and centre and say jail make to ripe fig."

Rowley said taxpayers were still paying millions of dollars as a result of that mistake by Persad-Bissessar.

Persad-Bissessar, he continued, is trying make the entire national conversation about crime.

"In other words, let the minority criminal element destroy the country by us giving them, all of our time and all of our oxygen."

Rowley said, "We have a significant outlay in resources and personnel dealing with the crime situation."

He added, "To say that the Government is not dealing with it and to say the Government is not in a position to deal with it, is a lie."

Rowley said, "There are 50 other things that we have to deal with at the same time."

The UNC, he continued, can only talk about "crime, crime,crime as if TT is only to be concerned about crime"

Rowley said, "They cannot talk about anything else."

After reiterating his condemnation of the Opposition's refusal to meet with Government to discuss a bipartisan approach to deal with crime, Rowley said the UNC was busy furthering its political agenda through its town hall meetings on crime.

He reiterated that former St Lucia prime minister Allan Chastanet was in no position to advise TT on crime when St Lucia had to seek outside help to deal with criminal gangs there.

Rowley said TT was not in