Friday, January 11 2008

President of the Police Second Division, Corporal Emrol Bruce is advising that the use of armed guards to track down and bring the perpetrators of crime to justice, should be shelved because of the dangers associated with that form of policing.

Cpl Bruce was responding to a Newsday report yesterday, which outlined the plans by the UNC Alliance to introduce armed guards in all communities in Trinidad and Tobago to work alongside watch groups to assist people to defend themselves against criminals.

“I will be very careful about that kind of plan because the criminals have more sophisticated weapons, than these guards, and they will be putting their lives, as well as the lives of ordinary citizens at risk,” said Bruce..

He added that dealing with the criminal elements in society should be handled by the people trained to do so: the police with the assistance of soldiers.

“These guards should be careful at what they are committing themselves to,”warned Bruce.

He said that criminal elements have violent tendencies towards the police and the aggression will be worst towards armed guards.

Bruce also said that Government’s anti-crime initiatives will not reap the desired results because the people who are doing the ground work are not being consulted.

“Until the authorities have real, meaningful discussions with the persons doing the work on the ground they will continue to have small success,” said Bruce.

He revealed that he and his executive are in the process of formulating their own crime initiatives which they are willing to present to government.

On Wednesday, Opposition Chief Whip Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj wrote to Minister of National Security giving him 48 hours to put measures in place to alleviate the crime situation in his constituency.

He said that if Government failed to respond he will launch a national campaign for the people to establish a National Fund to provide private police protection and security to the people.

Yesterday, Opposition Chief Whip Ramesh Lawrence Mahraj issued a press release to state that people have a right if the Government is not giving them security and protection to take steps to defend themselves.

He added that any criticisms of such measures can be construed by reasonable persons in society as an attempt to mislead the population and to divert public attention away from the failure and or refusal by Government to give everyday and every night protection to defenceless citizens.

“It is totally false for anyone to give the impression that such watch groups with the assistance of such security personnel is not permitted by the law or in any way is dangerous to law abiding citizens. He concluded that the time for action against the criminals is now.