PORT-OF-SPAIN – Chief of Defence Staff Edmund Dillon says the only time soldiers will not be involved in any law enforcement activities with the police is when the nation's record high crime levels become a thing of the past.

He made the comment Monday in an interview after the launch of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain.

The statement came even as his troops face continued criticism from those living in, and outside of, the Richplain, Diego Martin area where soldiers have established a camp in the wake of the recent murder of one of their own, Corporal Ancil Wallace, and his friend Noel Charles.

Asked if he could envision a time when they would no longer be deployed in frontline law enforcement, such as they are currently in Richplain, Dillion said: "That's in the distant future. The soldiers will not return to the barracks until such time that we have been able to reduce crime, we have been able to ensure that there is a safe and secure environment for people to work, live and play in Trinidad and Tobago."

He again dismissed critics who question the legality of the soldiers' actions in Richplain, saying that everything was above board.

Some Richplain residents have accused some soldiers of using excessive force in their efforts to assist the police in finding those behind the murders. They also claim the army only responded because one of their own was involved.

However, Dillon said that some years ago, soldiers responded in joint exercises with the police to criminal acts in other areas in Trinidad, including Laventille.

"All those were not related to a soldier being killed at all. So our response continues to be our standard operating procedures, our way of doing things, and therefore you will see a little more of this because we have an important role to play in the fight against crime," Dillon said.

He said to the best of his knowledge, so far, there has not been an "excessive use of force" by any of the soldiers now deployed in Richplain and reiterated the government's position that the presence there is legal. (Trinidad Express)