Gary Griffith’s appointment as Commissioner of Police came with an eerie and uncanny realisation about the opaque and dysfunctional state of our institutions. Despite his political history, people were happy to embrace Griffith. And even though he has been on the job for only four months, are singing his praises. …
Read More »Dear Editor: Westmoorings barrier betrays spiralling security concerns across socio-economic strata
A video of a young man removing a barrier strategically placed across the road in a community somewhere in west Trinidad raised some serious concerns. Initially he was thought to be villain. It turns out that the barriers were illegally placed across the roadways. It also became apparent that the …
Read More »Dear Editor: Has T&T reverted from Police Service to Police Force? And at what price our liberty?
“When police are militarised, they are more likely to be attacked (Carriere, 2016). The militarisation of police does not reduce crime. Elite teams neither reduce crime nor enhance public safety and become used routinely in low-income communities. “There is no evidence that this practice enhances officer safety nor lowers crime …
Read More »Live Wire: Griffith defends ‘pissy pooch’ after lawmen mistakenly kick in door of elderly couple
Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith is again being called to answer for the zealous behaviour of his lawmen, after officers kicked down the door of an elderly Mason Hall couple during a drug search—only to realise they had gotten the wrong address. So much for the accuracy of the TTPS’ …
Read More »TTPS charge 22-year-old St Augustine man with sedition over Facebook post
Twenty-two-year-old Santa Margarita, St Augustine resident Jonathan Anthony Mohammed is the first Trinidad and Tobago citizen to be charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act, after the DPP gave instructions to the Terrorism Interdiction Unit (TIU) on Friday 9 November. The Anti-Terrorism Act was initially passed in 2005 while it received its …
Read More »Dear Editor: Is Griffith’s crime-fighting medicine good for us in the long term?
“I celebrate the success of the intelligence that would have led to this find [of weapons and drugs]… But there is something else that I feel a deep concern about. “I look with discomfort at that brotherhood of testosterone and violence that our Commissioner seems a little too happy to …
Read More »Gary needs more lightning, less thunder; Demming explains why she would gag CoP
Brace yourself for heightened aggression from the police! That’s the message I received from the recent television interview with Commissioner of Police (CoP) Gary Griffith about the police killing of five young men in Laventille. To paraphrase this very powerful citizen, anyone who objects to his approach either has not …
Read More »Dear Editor: T&T needs more thoughtful, collective response to crime, not blustery overreaction
“Being poor or even living in Laventille does not cause one to engage in crime or any other behaviour, but they make certain lines of conduct easier or more difficult. When poverty or unemployment is treated within the context of strong families and an active socialising church, crime and vandalism …
Read More »Super G Meets Don Quixote: CoP lives up to his bloody boasts; but to what end?
As much as we may wish it to be otherwise, Gary Griffith is not the answer to our prayers but the symptom of our problems. In our greatest moment of fear, we have manifested and brought him to life as protection against the very forces we have created. Like Phoenix, …
Read More »Dear Editor: Do tougher measures work? TTPS should not be judge, jury and executioner
“The heart of criminal law is the degree of protection afforded to the accused… The Police cannot be judge, jury and executioner. “[…] It is seductive in its logical simplicity but the idea that criminals are persuaded by ill treatment, stiff sentences or police killings is a middle-class delusion. It …
Read More »“Talk less, empathise more and rough up less”; advice for CoP Gary Griffith
“[CoP] Gary Griffith’s penchant for engaging mouth before putting brain in gear will erode the goodwill we all have in store for him. He must understand that thinking more, talking less, empathising more and roughing up less, will help overall to soothe a nation in crisis and pain.” In the …
Read More »Cedenio: My name is cleared! Track star admits to being held over Tobago road fatality
Twenty-three year old international track star Machel Cedenio has admitted to being the athlete questioned in relation to a road fatality in Tobago. The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service was careful not to name the athlete who was detained for three days and placed on an identification parade, as part …
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