Griffith: Punks behind crime

“There are only 2,000 to 3,000 punks who continue to deprive society from having their fundamental right. I think there is a great concern in our country that we are losing that fundamental right. I am not going to spend time playing the blame game and I think that is the first problem that we have.

“We have seen for far too long oppositions blaming the Government and vice versa. The police would be blaming the Coast Guard, the Government would be blaming the police ... The blame game has been going on for far too long. What is required is for persons to accept responsibility,” said Griffith, who spoke on Tuesday at the Rotary Club of Port-of-Spain’s luncheon at Goodwill Industries, Woodbrook.

Griffith said fancy words about crime plans were not necessary, adding no other country in the world has a crime plan.

He said the concept of a crime plan was something that has been used in this country for far too long and that TT had to look at crime from a scientific approach.

“Dealing with crime is no longer common sense and a level head. The concept of criminological theory is all science, it involves empirical testing, data, research methodology and then utilise limited national security resources in an effective and efficient manner,” he said.

Griffith said when people hold marches against crime they were to sensitise the public and put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to change what was happening.

“That could work for wage negotiations or better working conditions, but when it has to do with crime, the stakeholders are the public and they are already aware. Even though you are marching and holding hands against crime, it does not serve the purpose of dealing with the real issues to reduce crime,” he said.

The catalyst for crime reduction anywhere in the world, he said, was the implementation of government policies. He said nothing was more important than situational crime prevention and dealing with the situation as it existed with hard targeting, deterrence, high visibility, a rapid response and getting public support.

He added, “During my tenure I was criticised for too many police vehicles on the roads, but that raised the detection rate from 17 per cent to 31 per cent. People in authority need to step up and accept responsibility. You cannot reduce the fear of crime unless you reduce crime first. To hear the Commissioner of Police say there was nothing the police could do about domestic violence, I think that is a copout.” Griffith said many of the domestic homicides were not committed in the bedroom, contrary to what has been said recently. He said the rate of domestic violence was equivalent to statistics this country has seen for gang-related murders or armed robbery.

“Domestic homicides can very well be reduced if we put proper law enforcement techniques in place. High police visibility would aid in the deterrence of domestic violence. In the last decade there were 263 homicides dealing with domestic violence, 112 were men, 151 females. Domestic violence resulting in murders was at its highest in 2008 (36), and that same year the homicide rate was also at its highest. So because there was no deterrent, the high visibility was not there, the product of opportunity was there (to commit crime),” he said.

Griffith said crime was a product of opportunity and the greater the deterrent, the less likelihood a person would commit a crime and the greater the possibility of them being apprehended.

“We need to stop blaming society, we need to start looking at systems that have worked. It is very unfortunate that previous administrations have played politics with national security. Until politicians, administrations and the public understand who the true criminal is, the only person who would succeed would be the criminal element,” he said.