It is important to note that criminal behaviours often time begin in the families, communities and schools and therefore, there is a need for these social institutions to aid in addressing this scourge from a young age. This is according to Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud.
During an interview with the media on Friday, outlined that “it’s what goes on in the family, it’s what goes on in the schools…the high rates of drug use in schools that the survey completed earlier this year find. We have to look at the religious institutions, how much impact they have on the minds of these people, we have to look at the community, whether people operate in isolation; if they look after their own family, or they look after what is happening in that community as well. They are all forces that shape the individual.”
It was on Thursday disclosed that two suspects who were apprehended for the robbery of an accountant attached to the Tower Suites were also before the courts for other crimes including attempted murder.
In this regard, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan also condemned the move by some players in the judicial system who grant bail to repeat offenders.
“Those who would’ve committed one offence and clearly there is evidence of it, and commit it again like these two fellas in front of Hotel Tower, certainly they should not get bail and these are the legal principles governing bail which would tell a magistrate not to grant bail and I hope that the magistrates are not going to grant bail to some of those people” Ramjattan said.
He said a collision course will always exist between the rights of the suspects and the rights of the members of the public. In cases such as those he stated clearly, that the discretion of a magistrate or judge should be exercised but he cautioned the members of the judiciary that their decisions should also be given with consideration that they themselves can become the victims of the very people they fail to properly pass judgement on.
The frequency of granting bail he said “is also making the fear in the land a little more too because people would say that the fellow now got bail, he could come and attack me next morning, he can even attack the magistrate like how they attack the land court judge so they too must have compelling reasons too.”
The Commissioner of Police said while the morals of the ranks who work to bring suspects to justice are usually shattered when they see certain cases being handled a certain way within the judicial system, this is a common occurrence.
He added that there need to be more jobs as well that attract young people.
“We have had issues with overcrowding of prisons, we have had issues where every time you put them out back, they are not reformed and they go back into the same behaviour and the police has to commit resources over and over again to deal with the same people but it a reality that we have to live with over time until we get social projects that will do with them…and jobs that attract them” Seelall told media operatives.
There is, however, a claim by some in the magistracy that the police bring some cases to the court which cannot stand up to certain scrutiny and in upholding the constitution, the court has to act fairly.
