PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday described the increase in murders as 'horrendous', saying it was critical that the Anti-Gang Legislation and amendments to the Death Penalty Act be fast-tracked so her Government could address the situation.
According to Persad-Bissessar, she intends to approach Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley for a second time on the matter in an attempt to have proposed amendments to the death penalty be sent to a joint select committee of Parliament.
"I want to meet with him (Rowley) again. He has asked for time, taking us way down to April. I think given the urgency of this matter, I do not believe that we should wait until April," Persad-Bissessar told members of the media after a conference hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Port of Spain.
"I believe we would want to discuss with him a way forward, which would mean that we debate the bill, place it before a joint select committee, have that committee (gather) the views of the various stakeholders and others who are interested in speaking, while at the same time, Dr Rowley could continue to take it to his various places where he asked."
She added, "I think each day that we wait, each day is a further life that is knocked out without this death penalty. Some say it's not a deterrent, others say it is. It is the law of Trinidad and Tobago, which has been stymied because of all kinds of processes and we have a way to fix that."
Asked what her Government intends to do to tackle the resumption of gang-related murders in the Laventille and east Port of Spain communities, Persad-Bissessar said even though several of her Government's anti-crime initiatives have been rolled out, the Anti-Gang Bill was critical in winning that fight.
She said the Anti-Gang Bill is before a joint select committee of Parliament, which is expected to report back to the house shortly and there were other initiatives engaging the attention of Minister of National Security Brigadier John Sandy.
Regarding the Special Anti-Crime unit of Trinidad and Tobago, (SAUTT), the PM said a lot of the unit's intelligence gathering equipment will be given to the Strategic Services Agency (SSA). The report on the reforming of SAUTT, she said, was still being considered by Cabinet.
"Some of the recommendations included are sending the police officers back to their jobs and Defence Force personnel back to their jobs and keeping areas of intelligence and training outside of the force," she said.
"And intelligence gathering, some of that is to be transferred into the legal unit of the SSA. We seem to mix those two words all the time, the SIA and SSA, but it's SSA which has been created by statue. Equipment from SAUTT is to be give in the fight against crime to the Police Service and the Defence Force. those are just some of the recommendations there in terms of personnel movement and equipment."
