AG: GARY GETTING IT DONE

DESPITE this year's murder toll fast closing in on 500, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi says Police Commissioner Gary Griffith is, "getting it done" in terms of fighting against the crime scourge.

At a PNM local government election campaign meeting Thursday night in Sangre Grande, he also said only the Prime Minister would have the courage to propose Griffith, a former PP minister, as Police Commissioner. Al-Rawi said since his appointment in August 2018, Griffith has been working very hard to bring crime under control.

At the meeting at the Unit Trust car park, Al-Rawi said some people find it difficult to see a former UNC national security minister "come and work with a PNM government." He observed, "That CoP has witnessed today alone, the arrest of somebody who is assisting the police now in a bombing incident."

This happened at the Government Campus Parkade on Tuesday. Al-Rawi said Griffith re-established the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) which replaced the Special Anti-Crime Unit, created under the Patrick Manning administration, but scrapped when the PP assumed office in May 2010.

Al-Rawi also noted the work done by SORT officers in arresting a soldier for the rape and buggery of a child. He asked supporters whether they felt safe today with CoP Griffith on the job. They shouted, "Yes!" With Griffith doing his part, Al-Rawi said, it was imperative that government do its part.

PM: UNC, SUPPORTERS

DANGEROUS TO TT

He asked what was the point of the police arresting criminals "if you don't have a fighting chance to keep them off the streets." The AG also asked, "How do you ask a policeman to be full of moral righteousness and know his country is standing behind him, if you can't equip him with the laws to do his job?" He reiterated his condemnation of the Opposition's refusal to support the Bail Amendment (No2 ) Bill 2019.

Debate on the bill in the House of Representatives paused on Wednesday, he said, to give Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar "time to sober up herself, turn up in Parliament and face the music."

The bill, he said, preserves the right to approach the court for bail. But, Al-Rawi continued, it also says people found with"an automatic weapon of war, a bomb, a grenade, a missile," will have to explain to the court why they should get bail. He rejected Persad-Bissessar's argument that once someone is arrested twice for any of these offences, they are denied bail.

Later in the meeting, Prime Minister Dr Rowley declared that the UNC was not interested in coming to Parliament to pass laws to help police deal with criminals armed with AR-15 and Bushmaster assault rifles.

But, Rowley continued, the UNC members could find themselves in Parliament "to pass Section 34" to create an opening for people to evade the court. Reflecting on the UNC's track record in and out of government, Rowley said citizens were "lucky to vote PNM in 2015." He added that the UNC and those people who support them "are dangerous to TT."

CRIME RATE UNTENABLE

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, who served with Griffith in the PP, said, "Captain Griffith brought a type of energy and passion to the job of CoP." He said Griffith has practical solutions and real time responses. Under Griffith's leadership, Moonilal said, "We have clearly had inroads into several categories of serious crime."

While gang related murders continue at an unacceptable level, Moonilal said, "I am sure if the government resources the TTPS in a manner which they require and ensure a new professionalisation of the police service as contemplated by Griffith, we will see bold action and good results."

But Moonilal claimed, "It appears that powerful forces are hell bent on undermining the work of the CoP and his integrity." He declared, "These dark forces, which had untrammeled power until now must be kept in check and smothered for there to be a victory in this war." Fixin TT head Kirk Waithe said this year could record 500 plus murders.

He said Griffith may have underestimated the enormity of the task when he asked that his performance be judged by the murder count.

"TT's crime situation remains untenable. That being said, despite a rocky start, Fixin TT deems Griffith to be well intentioned," Waithe said Fixin TT supports many of Griffith's initiatives to bring the police into the 21st century, his drive to clean up the service and "his apparent commitment to, without fear or favour, address 'white collar' crime."