The ghoulish picture of our police commissioner over the dead body of a murder suspect (Express, 28 December) reminded me of Nietzsche’s aphorism: ‘He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster… if thou gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze into …
Read More »Demming: Lawless leaders set the standard for indiscipline in T&T
‘Discipline guarantees success’ has been a tried-and-true maxim, but no matter how disciplined you are, if your operating context is chaotic, you are unlikely to succeed. At all levels, Trinidad and Tobago exhibits a lack of discipline, which is facilitated by the absence of enforcement of the rules. From captain …
Read More »Noble: Don’t fear media scrutiny, Mr Commissioner; alarming allegations from Skeete story
From the Sunday Express headline on the 24th, ‘Gary choked me’, to the Newsday report of an affidavit on the 27th, headlined ‘Gary never touched me’, the story is staggering and deeply concerning. The initial Express report alleged that the police commissioner choked and threatened a Cocorite resident, Mr Cecil …
Read More »Noble: How TTPS raids in Arouca and Lady Chancellor differed; and what it says about our society
Mary Elizabeth Chancellor, the wife of our seventh governor, Sir John, gave her name to the road we now call Chancellor Hill. Sir John was the one who assented to the Shouter Baptist Prohibition Ordinance because ‘a Shouter meeting would make the neighbourhood where it took place unfit for residential …
Read More »Noble: Shame proof Trinidad and the TTPS’ farcical Transformed Life Ministry raid
As a primary school child, rearing aquarium fish was a joy. Of special delight was one called a ‘fighter’, which would flare its gills and spread its fins when it saw itself in a mirror. You could not put two in the same space because they would bite each other. …
Read More »Daly Bread: Are the malls becoming crime hot spots? T&T’s state of anxiety is growing
Two ladies in the early afternoon—to which we refer colloquially as after lunch—park a vehicle in an area, not isolated from one of its entrances, and enter a shopping mall. An hour later, as they are exiting the mall, they see a man standing adjacent to their vehicle. They have …
Read More »Dear Editor: Gary Griffith receives ‘A’ grade for theatrics and a ‘C’ for performance
“… Because of his effective use of social media, [Gary Griffith] has received soaring popularity with some members of the public. “But is this popularity connected to results he has achieved, or is it based merely on optics? Specifically, has there been a significant decline in homicides or an increase …
Read More »MATT: Sedition Act potentially criminalises journalists, activists, etc; Gov’t should review and repeal
“MATT sees the Act as potentially criminalising journalists, media houses, public interest activists, trade unionists, artists, bloggers and assorted social media commentators. “[…] We view current activation of certain provisions of the Sedition Act as, disturbingly, another effort by the State to constrain fundamental rights of free speech and press freedom…” The …
Read More »Muhammad: Sedition charge is ‘globally embarrassing’ relic of dark ages; Griffith: Police will enforce all laws
David Muhammad: “It is globally embarrassing, socially backward, and developmentally counter-productive, for any society that promotes ideals of free speech in the 21st Century to conjure up ghosts of the intellectually dark ages of as far back as the 17th Century [such as the Sedition Act]…” Police Commissioner Gary Griffith: …
Read More »NWU: Duke detention ‘meant to intimidate and cower’ threats to ‘political elite’
“It is disturbing that the police have not made a comprehensive statement on the issue which clarifies the nature of the so-called investigation. Information in the public sphere seems to suggest that Mr [Watson] Duke is being investigated for statements made months ago and which are said to be seditious. …
Read More »‘They’re trying to vilify me’! Griffith responds to WPC complaint of verbal abuse, intimidation
On Sunday 11 August 2019, The Sunday Express reported that a complaint of verbal abuse and intimidation was made by an unnamed woman police constable (WPC) against Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to the Police Service Commission (PSC) and Police Complaints Authority (PCA). The article, which was written by investigative …
Read More »TTPS confirms McDonald detained in corruption investigation, Gov’t tightlipped on PNM deputy political leader
Minister of Communications Donna Cox confirmed this afternoon that her Cabinet colleague and Member of Parliament Marlene McDonald is now under police investigation but did not divulge whether internal action might be underway. A Loop T&T report this morning, which quoted an unnamed ‘senior police officer’, stated that McDonald and …
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