National Security Gets $6.366 Billion To Boost Crime Fight And Prison Reform
National Security has once again received the third-largest allocation in the National Budget, with $6.366 billion earmarked for the sector in the 2025–2026 fiscal year.
Delivering the Budget Statement on Monday, the Minister of Finance, Davendranath Tancoo, emphasised that the significant investment in the National Security sector reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to enhancing public safety and strengthening the country’s security infrastructure.
Minister Tancoo noted that strategic steps have been taken to address vulnerabilities in national security.
« We created three specialised Ministerial portfolios: Justice, Defence, and Homeland Security, to prioritise targeted attention on zones of national security weaknesses. »
He said leadership has been restored to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, and staffing shortages addressed by absorbing eight hundred Special Reserve Police officers — noting that this move is already yielding positive results.
« We have appointed a new Commissioner of Police who is leading an aggressive, coordinated attack and offensive against crime. The results have been immediate: murders and violent crimes are down by 40% compared to last year. Promise made, promise kept. »
Minister Tancoo announced that 500 new prison officers are being recruited, and the government is proceeding with plans to build a modernised prison system.
« Facilities are receiving sanitation, transport, and security upgrades, including anti-drone technology and cell-jammers. The 268-year-old Port of Spain prison is being decommissioned, replaced by a modern correctional facility focused on rehabilitation. »
Minister Tancoo also recommitted to reforms to firearms laws to support responsible ownership, the expansion of CCTV coverage, enhanced port security, and the establishment of a forensic science complex and national security training centre at the University of the West Indies, Debe Campus.
