PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Police Commissioner Gary Griffith says “petty politics” took precedence as Opposition United National Congress (UNC) legislators on Friday night failed to support an extension of the anti-gang legislation that the police had said was necessary in the continued fight against criminal activity in Trinidad and Tobago. The current legislation expires at month end.

“Unfortunately, petty politics, yet again, takes precedence over doing what is right for the country. We just arrested a major person of interest involved in gang activity. Over 70 in the last few years. It was a major deterrent that contributed to over 115 less murders this year compared to the same period last year.

“It seems that this Bill was an issue for some politicians. Heaven forbid, if and when gang-related murders increase, I hope that those who rejected the Bill would be prepared to answer to their God and the citizens of this country,” a dejected Griffith wrote on social media after the Parliament failed to give the green light to the 30-month extension of the legislation that was first introduced by the UNC-dominated People’s Partnership Government in 2011.

Speaking on a television programme on Friday night, Griffith said said the law was responsible for the reduction in murders this year.

He told viewers that the only time the law was abused was following its introduction during the state of emergency in 2011 where over 200 people were arrested resulting in almost all being released without charge and many later successfully filing lawsuits against the State.

This is the second occasion that the Opposition has failed to support the legislation having done so in 2018 when the Government sought an extension of the sunset clause.

Earlier, as he piloted the Anti-Gang Bill, 2020, which gives the police extra powers against criminal gangs, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi told legislators that the number of gang members in the country had fallen by more than half.

Citing figures provided by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the attorney general said the number of gang members dropped by 38 per cent down from 211 to 129 gangs during the two year period 2018-20.

He said also that the number of reputed gang members had fallen by 57 per cent during that period from 2,400 to 1,014 people.

“In 2018 they were able to have 22 gang-related murders solved, with 28 arrests. In 2019, 13 gang-related murders solved, with 10 arrests. In 2018, five gang-related murders were solved with 13 arrests,” Al-Rawi said, adding that “due to consistent targeting and pressure, gang activity has gone on the downward stroke.”

He said a major contributor to the legislation was the ability of law enforcement to detain a suspect for 72 hours, which a judicial officer could then extend for up to 14 days.

Al-Rawi said he agreed with Police Commissioner Gary Griffith’s view that the bill did not need a sunset clause which limits it for the next 30 months.

National Security Minister Stuart Young, in his contribution, appealed to the Opposition to support the legislation telling them to “do what is right for Trinidad and Tobago.

“Do what the police service is asking us to do. They have prevented certain criminals acts including murder from being carried out, using this anti-gang legislation.

“If it is not supported by the Opposition — understand what the police have just told us— a number of ongoing criminal investigations will fall through and they will not be able to take the fight to target the gangs in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Last night into this morning a major gang leader of a gang called the Six Gang in Trinidad and Tobago was arrested and charged under this legislation,” Young said, noting that Griffith had honoured 52 police officers for their work under the Anti-Gang Act.

“I’ve not seen a single justifiable reason why this legislation should not be continued. Since 2018, persons have been arrested and charged under this legislation. It allows police to disrupt gang activity, stops murders and allows more time for police to build their case. Has it been used? The answer is yes.”

Young recalled that a public outcry had led the Opposition to capitulate and support the legislation in 2018 even as the People’s National Movement (PNM) had supported anti-gang legislation in 2011.

Young said gang activity was a global problem, adding “there is not a single piece of legislation that will eradicate the scourge but it is a tool”.

However, in opposing the measure, opposition legislator, Saddam Hosein said the Bill did nothing to address murders and safety in Trinidad and Tobago, noting that the seven-and-a-half- year law, was not effective as evident by the statistics.

“This law has had no impact whatsoever on the murder rate in Trinidad and Tobago. This is legislative insanity. This Government is incompetent and inept, bereft of any plans. They have no additional policies, only coming with laws with the expectation to reduce crime. Laws alone won’t reduce crime.”

Hosein said that many of the offences under the anti-gang legislation exists as part of other laws and asked how many charges were brought in the last 30 months for coercing someone to join a gang or persuading someone not to leave a gang or the number of property seized from gangsters?

“How many have been charged with counselling a gang member or gang leader or harbouring or concealing a gang member? This Opposition is not going to be any robbery stamp to this PNM Government. They can’t come to this Parliament with all of this narrative and say this bill needs to pass otherwise all hell will break loose and the sky will fall. Madame Speaker, we heard that so many times and the sky is still there.”

Hosein, using his statistics, said that the law has not had any effect on the murder toll since in 2018. He said 22 gang-related murders were solved resulting in 28 arrests; 13 solved with ten arrests the following year and five gang-related murders solved this year so far, with 13 arrests. Even with these numbers he said, no one was charged under the Anti-Gang Act.

“We can’t just lock up people. We have to provide for them,” he said as he called for the state to provide opportunities for at-risk youths so they can stay away from gang violence.

The Bill failed at the Committee stage with a vote of 20 for and 19 abstaining. The law needed a three-fifths majority to pass, meaning that at least four Opposition legislators had to support the measure.

Prior to the debate, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar had said that her party would consider supporting the anti-gang initiative only if the Keith Rowley Government had agreed to bring procurement laws to Parliament which she said would deal with white collar crime.