Ag: Hangings to resume

This in a nutshell was the AG’s main message in a statement to Parliament yesterday.

Jeremie joined National Security Minister Martin Joseph in talking tough on crime. Joseph’s 30 minute statement set the stage for the AG’s pronouncements.

Jeremie promised to "resist" "with all the resources of the State" those decisions of the Privy Council which prevent the implementation of the death penalty.

These include the Pratt and Morgan decision (which places a five-year limit on the time a convicted murderer can spend on Death Row if he is to be hanged) and the Privy Council’s statement in the case of Matthews, which, the AG stated, attempted "in defiance of the Constitution," to commute the sentences of persons on death row whose appeals were not even before them.

On the issue of corruption and terrorist activity, he said, "Over the past fortnight significant steps have been taken in relation to terrorist activity and corruption. In the months to come, our efforts, will multiply. Our objective is to explain to all, regardless of political persuasion, that corruption and terror are crimes, and they will be punished with every resource of the State."

Government’s legislative and administrative package, as outlined by Jeremie includes:

• no bail for repeat offenders, or for those charged with kidnapping, drug-trafficking or firearm possession:

• giving the Director of Public Prosecutions the discretion ("exclusive power") to circumvent the long pretrial process (ie preliminary inquiry in the Magistrates’ Court). The DPP would be able to send certain crimes straight to a judge and jury.

• amendment of the law which requires a criminal to be flogged within six months of his conviction. Government now proposes to remove the time limit to ensure that "if you commit the crime, you are going to have to take the (corporal) punishment (at any time)" Jeremie said.

• return of the three Police Reform Bills — the Police Service Bill, the Police Complaints Authority Bill and the Constitution Amendment Bill.

The bail bill and the Police Reform Bills failed the last time they were brought to Parliament. Jeremie, obviously recognising that Government needs Opposition support, pointed out that no one was immune from the effects of crime. He said some argued that the victims of kidnapping were predominantly East Indian while the contention was that the victims of the steep rise in the murder figures were predominantly African.

National Security Minister Martin Joseph, whose statement complemented the AG’s, revealed that the number of homicides increased from 104 in the period January to June 2004, to 152 in the same period this year. He also revealed that there were 66 known gangs in Trinidad and Tobago, with 500 "hard core members."

He said gang-related murders, which were a problem in this hemisphere, were directly linked to the prevalence of illegal drugs. He said since the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) had intensified its operations in those areas (East PoS and Laventille) where gang-related murders were concentrated, there had been a reduction in such murders. The IATF had now expanded its current operations to address the escalating gang violence in Carenage, Diego Martin, Beetham Gardens and Cocorite, he said.

On the issue of kidnapping, Joseph stated that the number of reported kidnappings between January to June 2004 was 62, of which 27 were solved. In this year, this rose to 89 (an increase of 27) of which 33 were solved. Last year there were 13 kidnappings for ransom during the January to June period while this year there were 28 (an increase of 15), he said. Joseph said it was particularly disturbing that some of the ransom demands included demands for cocaine and marijuana.

He said in terms of the outcome of kidnapping for ransom, since 2003 to the present time, 102 were kidnapped, 58 were released and 18 escaped. Sadly two persons were killed and nine remained unaccounted for, he said.

He said the deployment of Police Mobile Station Units, foot patrols and the placement of a sky watch unit in Central Trinidad had been successful in stemming the level of kidnapping.

The minister said contrary to reports, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit was not being starved of resources. he remained convinced that the upsurge in kidnapping could be reversed once all members of the Parliament played a "more active leadership role."

One of the key crime fighting initatives, Joseph stated, was the improvement in the capability of the Forensic Science Centre. He said a new DNA lab was to be constructed by 2006 and the DNA legislation was being reviewed with the aim of tabling it in Parliament later this year. He added that new staff — two firearm examiners, one document examiner and one computer forensic examiner — was being recruited to reduce the backlog.

Noting that the Incident Coordination Centre, established to improve police and intelligence reaction to kidnappings, had a direct link with the FBI, DEA and UK intelligence, Joseph said, "We are utilising intelligence to drive our crime fighting stategies," he said.

Joseph also gave an account of the equipment purchased, training given and the progress of the implementation of the Organisational Transformation Project (under Prof Mastrofski and Partners). Equipment included 24 mobile police units, 251 new cars, 25 new motorcycles, three sky watch units, 5,000 bullet-proof vests, 360 degree radar systems at ten locations and two helicopters. Both Joseph and the Attorney General spoke of Government’s commitment to ensuring that the rule of law was observed.

Joseph stated, "Government will not allow a small group of criminals to threaten the safety, security and well-being of our nation. We will not allow these criminal elements to ruin or compromise this country’s inexorable drive towards developed nation status by 2020.

Clearly including members of Parliament in his statement, Jeremie said, "Everyone in this Chamber, and outside, everyone from Mucurapo to Westmoorings, from Morvant to Cedros, is subject to the rule of law." He said Government recognised that the people had grown tired of plans, talk and discussion.