Former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has criticised the current administration’s handling of national security, describing the government’s crime plan as a rolling “state of emergency” based on “public manipulations”. Dr Rowley noted that those now in power once mocked his efforts to treat violent crime as a public health issue.
“Idiots and the criminally charged are in government,” Dr Rowley wrote in a social media post, adding that several government officials “bring nothing good to the table except hatred and bias”. He argued that leadership is now viewed as an “entitlement” used to protect corrupt practices.
“This then becomes the country, as hope shrivels and faith in the future is lost. When that happens, the quality of life for the whole population diminishes,” Dr Rowley said.
His comments come despite recent statistics released by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, which claim a significant improvement in public safety. According to government data, serious reported crimes fell by 30 per cent in 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, dropping from 3,413 to 2,397 reports. Violent crimes reportedly decreased by 32 per cent, with the North Eastern Division seeing the sharpest decline at 55 per cent.
The Prime Minister’s social media update assured citizens they are “safer under the UNC’s leadership”. However, the quadruple murder on the Lady Young Road, which claimed the life of a young girl, occurred just days after these figures were shared,
