Proactive policing and prosecutorial action needed

THE EDITOR: In May 2014 I recall the shock I felt when I read the news about the assassination of Dana Seetahal SC who was engaged in prosecuting a high-profile murder.

I called then for robust and effective round the clock security for prosecutors, especially those engaged in high-profile matters and supported an immediate state of emergency with a lockdown to identify and locate those responsible. Over 10 years later no-one has been convicted for that heinous crime.

On New Year's Eve 2024 another colleague, special prosecutor Randall Hector – reported as having optimistically stating at a church service “We have had a very bloody year in 2024 for TT. Right now, we are under a state of emergency but regardless of what is happening out there, God has protected us” – is dead, the victim of another assassination and disproving his optimism. On January 3, the newspapers carry the headlines of the fear of prosecutors and the apparent notification by the DPP to the acting CJ that prosecutors would not be attending court because it was necessary to hold a meeting about the killing.

Yet, despite the fact that TT has a new record of 624 homicides the police commissioner was reported on January 4 as having declared that the police had “significant results” and made “significant progress” in 2024. The irony should not be lost on anyone. Lest there be any confusion the simple fact is that invisible results or progress is of no value to the law-abiding public, it only valuable to criminals as confirmation that they cannot be stopped.

TT did not get to this level of criminality overnight. It has been allowed to run out of control for many, many years with successive failures in leadership, action and resources. Despite the fact that a former police commissioner had started to make progress, that progress appears to have been unwelcome and he was replaced. TT cannot be policed like London, Toronto or New York. What is required is the kind of leadership and proactive police and prosecutorial action that identifies within the shortest period of time those who have committed serious violent crimes and bringing them to trial. Anything less is a waste of time.

At present, the declared state of emergency does not appear to have had any meaningful effect. Whilst I hope, as others hope, that miraculous results will be achieved I share the pessimism of others based on many, many years of disappointment when it comes to the rising level of criminality that has been unrelenting for far too long.

via e-mail

Anand Beharrylal KC

London, UK