Head of the Northeastern Division Snr Supt Surrendra Sagramsingh said police officers will have more power to put gang members behind bars if the Anti-Gang legislation is approved.
He was commenting yesterday during a visit to the Morvant/Laventille Secondary School where he accompanied the manager of the TTPS Victim and Witness Support Unit Asha Corbie, to offer support in the wake of the murder of 15-year-old schoolboy Joshua Andrews on Monday.
Since Monday’s incident, where Andrews and “PH” taxi driver Devon Fernandez were killed, residents and students of the school claimed they are being threatened by criminals in the area that “snitches get killed.”
Sagramsingh is now lobbying for legislation that will protect witnesses, similar to laws in the Bahamas where witnesses can testify under anonymity.
“We realise that crime has taken a spiral upwards position. We have seen in different jurisdictions that there is legislation that actually support the police intervention with regards to gang-related offences…this is my humble opinion,” he said.
Corbie said her unit has devised a plan and communicated it to the principal of the school.
“We will be visiting affected families and not just providing counselling services but will be looking at other needs that may exist and see how best we can connect them with other agencies that can assist,” she said.
She officers are now seeing how best they can alleviate that sense of fear and pain that the students, principals, teachers and family members are experiencing.
Sagramsingh said that there exists the possibility of arrests soon in the case. A joint police and army raid in the district on Tuesday netted four people wanted for recent shootings, woundings and outstanding warrants. http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2018 – 01-10/senior-cop-anti-gang-laws-can-help-police