Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she was skeptical about attending Monday’s start of the regional crime symposium, dismissing it as another talk shop that was not sure to yield tangible results.

At a UNC political meeting last night, Persad-Bissessar said while she has zero faith in government’s ability to get a handle on the crime situation, she has full respect for regional leaders who are participating in the two-day conference and hopes their input would yield results.

She repeated her call for National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds to be stripped of his portfolio.

“You can’t keep making the same mistakes every day, expecting things to change. It is very clear Minister Hinds cannot do the job, but it is just not Hinds, it is the entire government. Today shows hopelessness. People are mortally afraid. Yes, Caricom can help us, but we have unique issues…Let’s remove this incompetent and wicked government and let’s move forward and take our country forward,” she said.

On day one of the symposium, Caricom Secretary-General Dr Carla Natalie Barnett said an action plan will be developed which would be implemented by leaders across the region.