You know your country’s crime problem is even more serious than you thought with the discovery that budding criminals are joining the police service to turn pro. Last week, acting police commissioner Stephen Williams revealed that 150 officers from the rank of constable to assistant commissioner of police were serving …
Read More »Letter to Editor: Ralph Maraj is trying to rewrite Kamla’s political legacy and fool T&T
“What [Ralph] Maraj failed to indicate in his column [“Kamla’s Return”] is the fact that the UNC administration either changed the names of already-existing units, or simply completed projects started by the previous People’s National Movement (PNM), in the area of fighting crime?” The following Letter to the Editor on …
Read More »Ex-T&T and MLS defender Damani Richards, 21, allegedly held with loaded firearm
Three years ago, former Trinity College student Damani Richards seemed a good bet for a successful career as a top flight footballer. Instead, he could feasibly end up facing the local courts, after he was allegedly held by the Western Division Task Force with a loaded firearm and a quantity …
Read More »The real issues with our crime “plan”: Daly says politicians too busy supping with the devil
The respective teams led by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition met two Fridays ago on violent crime. The main promise afterward was that there would be co-operation on anti crime legislation, including the Government giving the Opposition early notice of the Bills it intended to introduce …
Read More »Securitile dysfunction updated: Daly looks at our continued crime fighting shortcomings
The first anniversary of the Rowley PNM in office is approaching. Many have commented on an apparent lack of decisive action to get revenue and expenditure in better balance after the wild spending spree of the preceding UNC Government, especially in the circumstances of collapsed energy sector prices. The population …
Read More »Beyond the hype: T&T police need proper forensics, not rocket science
Two integral parts of the Criminal Justice System are the Forensic Sciences Centre (FSC) and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). The FSC is a state institution and is the sole provider of traditional forensic laboratory services for Trinidad and Tobago. The Centre routinely receives and analyses evidence from …
Read More »20th Century cops versus 21st Century criminals? Heerah knocks Robocop response
Former National Operations Centre (NOC) executive director Garvin Heerah writes a Letter to the Editor on the “loose talk” emanating from the Police Service in the aftermath of the shooting death of Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis: We can do much better than this! To attack the out-of-control situation with homicides in …
Read More »Bailing out: How lapsing bills and political bickering have T&T living in jail
It is generally known, but only reluctantly acknowledged, that our institutions are failing us. The reasons why this failure is not the subject of broad based civic and political action have been set out in my columns many times. Currently the Parliament has contributed to a massive national security failure. …
Read More »Russell Jr and Balondemu charged for murder; Defence Force star discharged
Promising 23-year-old Pro League football star, Ross Russell Jr, is among two recently discharged soldiers who appeared before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Port of Spain court this morning for the murder of Diego Martin resident Selwyn Gaff. Russell Jr, who has two children, was charged alongside his cousin …
Read More »Traffic in Trinidad: the bad, the worse and how to fix it
The following blog on life for commuters in Trinidad was submitted to Wired868 by Jeremy Francis: I recently had a client meeting in the East, so I was on my way up the highway. This was before the introduction of the speed guns. The meeting was at 9 am, so being …
Read More »Bleeding in the Senate and in the street; and the link between the two
The Independent Senators appointed by the President of the Republic are currently in the news for all the wrong reasons. One of them, albeit a temporary one, has responded obscenely to criticism, including deployment of lurid phrases, which I decided not to quote. The said President has on occasion shown …
Read More »Intelligence and SSA 101: attorney Thane Pierre offers insight on controversial bill
National Security is the concept that the government, along with its parliament, should protect its sovereignty and its citizens. What is inherent in this concept is a belief that actions taken are necessary and justified. The recently concluded debate of the Strategic Services (Amendment) Act brought to the forefront a …
Read More »