CoP trains his guns on Judiciary for small fines for firearm offences

COMMISSIONER of Police Gary Griffith has trained his guns on the Judiciary, accusing it of “sheltering” people on firearm charges from the full brunt of the law.

He said, “It appears that our judicial system sympathises more with the criminals before them than persons whose daily lives are affecting by egregiously high levels of crime including rape, robbery and murder.”

In a post on his official Facebook page, the commissioner said, “It is absurd that persons who break the law and illegally acquire firearms and ammunition, almost certainly for the purpose of perpetrating other crimes, are consistently convicted by this country’s magistrates and judges and only made to pay infinitesimal fines for one of the most serious offences within the jurisdiction.”

He referred to a case two days ago when a Sangre Grande man was fined $20,000 for possession of a gun and ammunition. He said it followed “a spate of judgments” in which individuals on various occasions have been convicted and ordered to pay as little as $5,000.

Griffith asked, “Is it that we are allowing criminals back onto our nation’s streets for the cost of simply one or two month’s salary?

“This judicial reasoning seems illogical in light of the fact much harsher penalties are enforced for offences such as larceny and white-collar crime which are non-violent and do not deprive peaceable, law-abiding citizens of their right to life and compromise the safety of their person.”

He pointed out that in February, eight people were killed in 48 hours in crimes involving illegal guns.

He said people were only granted firearm user’s licences after stringent vetting, in keeping with his obligation to verify that people allowed to have deadly weapons were responsible and posed no danger to public safety.

“Consequently, individuals who obtain possession of illegal guns and ammunition present one of the most serious threats as they are empowered to commit some of the gravest and violent offences, often resulting in tragedy for many of our nation’s citizens.”

Griffith said it appeared he Judiciary did not appear to share the concern for citizens “as they consistently hand down judgments which do not seem to effectively penalise the offender or reflect the gravity of the offence.”

He said Parliament legislated to permit stringent penalties such as imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 for first-time offenders, “in accordance with the condemnation that this society accords these types of offences."

The Judiciary has been contacted for comment.

In February, the commissioner hit out at attorneys in a similar fashion and has also criticised the media for their reporting on issues involving the police which have seemingly displeased him.

The Law Association had to remind the commissioner that people accused of committing crimes were innocent until proven guilty. It also defended the role of criminal defence attorneys against the attack by Griffith on the issue of bail.

The association had called for the police to accept responsibility for certain delays in the criminal justice system, but Griffith contended that the association should also own up to its role in the sluggish pace.

Even earlier, in 2019, Griffith accused one magistrate of bullying his officers and accused the judicial system of favouring the criminal elements.

At the time, he said the rights of these individuals to be free and back on the street seemed to supersede the rights of other citizens not to be killed.

He also said, “The judiciary and police must work together to effectively treat with matters of crime and criminal activity. Unlike judicial officers, many of whom keep demanding 24/7 police security, the average citizen is not entitled to such a privilege, so the least that law enforcement and judicial officers can do, is to consider the welfare and safety of the general public when discharging their functions, particularly in respect of the grant of bail.”

Griffith called on judicial officers to do their part in the fight against crime.