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Jack sends representative to Laventille to listen to demands
By Anna Ramdass
Story Created: Aug 23, 2012 at 12:01 AM ECT
Story Updated: Aug 23, 2012 at 12:01 AM ECT
National Security Minister Jack Warner has confirmed that a representative was sent from his Ministry to hold talks with gang leaders in Laventille yesterday.
Warner said he has not turned his back on these persons and if their demands were within the law, they would be met.
The three-hour meeting, which took place at the St Paul's Street Multipurpose Facility, Laventille, began at 10 a.m. and ended at 1 p.m.
TV6 News reported last night that persons coming out of the meeting, including trade union leader Watson Duke, were tight-lipped and refused to comment on the closed-door talks.
Duke continued to remain mum on the matter last night when contacted by the Express, repeatedly saying "no comment" when pressed with questions on the meeting.
Warner was questioned on the meeting yesterday by the media when he attended the National Security Ministry's Military Tattoo at Woodford Square, Port of Spain.
He said the meeting with the gang leaders was one at their request and he did not attend, but sent chairman of the Office of Law Enforcement Policy of the Ministry of National Security Keith Renaud to meet with the group.
Warner refused to make any further comment on the issue, saying he would prefer to do so after reading the report on the outcome of the meeting.
"I told him (Renaud) to go and see what they wanted, and if what they wanted was within the law then we would do it, and I asked him to go and see. But I haven't turned my back on them. When the report comes, through the AG, through the Ministry of Justice and through Cabinet, we would look at it," said Warner.
Laventille East/Morvant MP Donna Cox told the Express last night she had heard about the meeting days before from people in her constituency.
"I really don't know what was the purpose of the meeting, but I know he (Warner) ducked out of the meeting because people went there expecting to meet him," said Cox.
"I don't know if he (Warner) was advised not to go because of all that was said before about the PNM (People's National Movement)... as usual they continue to take things and twist it to suit themselves to make the PNM look bad,'' said Cox.
She was referring to the criticisms by the former United National Congress (UNC) opposition of a meeting former prime minister Patrick Manning held with "community leaders'' at the Crowne Plaza hotel in September 2006.
The meeting was called to sign a peace accord to stop murders that were taking place along the East-West Corridor during that time. Most of the "community leaders" who had attended that meeting are now deceased.
Cox said although she was not around at that time, Manning's meeting was aimed at peace and was an avenue to call a truce among rival gang members.
She said these people needed a neutral force in order for them to "kiss and make up" and the then UNC Opposition twisted it to make it seem as though Manning was in bed with the criminals.
"I guess that's the reason he ducked out of the meeting, he probably was advised not to go because they fear what would be said about it," said Cox.
Lamenting the criminal activity taking place in her constituency and the country at large, Cox said she tries herself to lend counsel and advise people to turn away from the life of crime.
"My real problem is how they are influencing the youth as this will allow a vicious cycle to continue," she said.
Another concern, she claimed, was that CEPEP and URP contracts were being awarded to known criminal elements.
"This is a dangerous path we are going down, is it an attempt to stop crime or for them to buy more guns?" she asked.
Cox said any meeting that is geared to bring about peace should be welcomed and if Warner had given his word to meet with these gang leaders then he should have.
In November last year, during a sitting of the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that her Government would spend $300 million for the "Colour Me Orange" programme to create jobs in "hot spot" areas.
Persad-Bissessar had said her Government would engage the youth and most vulnerable members of the community in a massive job-creation programme.
"May I state categorically that we will not be meeting or engaging the services of so-called community leaders. We left that behind us on May 24, 2010, with the last administration.
"On the contrary, we will engage communities using existing and proven village councils, residents, tenants associations and action committees," the Prime Minister had said.
—with reporting by
Renuka Singh and Jabari Fraser
me
AG presents bill in Parliament...
Life for convicted gang leaders
Life in jail for convicted gang leaders. That’s the sentence under the Government’s anti-gang legislation designed to clamp down on the 110 gangs which now exist in T&T, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said yesterday. Ramlogan spoke about the situation in piloting the legislation in the Lower House. “We’re going after the rude boys and the bad boys and the bling culture,” he said. Ramlogan said gang members buy fancy cellphones and cars and lead women astray to join them in crime with their “bling” lifestyle.
The bill featuring big fines plus jail terms and wide powers for police requires a three-fifths special majority vote for passage. A number of Government and Opposition members were absent yesterday. Debate continues tomorrow. Ramlogan said the bill was a flagship in the Government’s artillery of legislation against rising crime. “...A daily diet of death, despair and destruction are seen on the front pages of the newspapers every day...urgent surgical attention is required,” he added. Saying gangs deal in drugs, gun-running, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, assault and rape, Ramlogan noted that former National Security minister Martin Joseph once said T&T had 66 gangs and 500 violent members who would “be hunted down.”
Ramlogan said the 500 instead multiplied and gangs grew. He said parts of T&T had an undeclared state of emergency where people go indoors by 6 pm following which bandits own the streets. Ramlogan said each of the current 110 gangs—noted in police statistics—had an average of 12 members. He said some were so large that members numbered between 50 and 100 as the recruitment process was very aggressive and the incentives they offered were very good. “The indoctrination process to join a gang is such that your have to prove worthy by committing petty crimes—robbery, drugs, robbing a maxi,” Ramlogan said. “To enter the bigger, better gangs you have to prove you could murder a man or woman in cold blood. They have no respect for human life, that is why this legislation has teeth that will bite to the very bone of crime!”
He said some gangs were involved in the kidnapping “trade,” car theft, stealing cellphones or raping women. Ramlogan said women and children were the biggest casualties of gangs who preyed on them. “Women cannot work late hours as they cannot travel in safety in maxis,” he added. He said the bill’s reach extended to protective service members since it was found that some members passed strategic information to gangs. Ramlogan came down hard on former prime minister Patrick Manning, saying every time Manning spoke, crime went up. Manning was absent from yesterday’s House. Ramlogan said Manning had “mollycoddled” and embraced gang leaders and community leaders, had breakfasted with them at Crowne Plaza and had given them URP and Cepep contracts. “How many families of kidnap victims did you all give breakfast to and embrace?!” Ramlogan thundered at PNM MPs. Noting Manning once said he knew who “Mr Big was,” Ramlogan said Manning had a penchant for knowing information but not sharing it with the police.
The bill’s provisions:
• Police can arrest suspected gang members without a warrant, enter and search without warrant or enter premises “by force and breaking doors if necessary” with warrant. n 20 years’ jail for a gang member, someone attempting to become one, professes to be one when they are not.
• 25 years’ jail when the person convicted is a member of the protective services or involved with a law enforcement agency.
• $500,000 and 20 years’ jail for various aspects of participating in criminal activity in association with gangs, including attempting to recruit a member or aiding members.
• $400,000 and 15 years’ jail for possessing a bulletproof vest, firearms or ammo.
• $150,000 fine and five years jail for harbouring/concealing gang members
• $300,000 fine and 10 years jail for harbouring/recruiting children.
• 20 years jail for a person who within 500 metres of a school/church recruits a child.
redmanjp wrote:saw this on d news last night- was surprized no one post it at the time
now didn't they criticize PNM for doing this?
redmanjp wrote:saw this on d news last night- was surprized no one post it at the time
now didn't they criticize PNM for doing this?
PSA head: Community leaders meeting ‘private’
Thursday, August 23 2012
Representatives from the Ministry of National Security and Public Services Association president Watson Duke met with community leaders in Laventille yesterday.
The meeting occurred one day after John John residents violently protested the police shooting of their neighbour Afiba Nigel Keita Caesar who allegedly opened fire on officers.
The meeting began at about 10 am and lasted more than two hours at the St Paul’s Indoor Facility, East Dry River, Port-of-Spain.
The community leaders were supposed to meet with National Security Minister Jack Warner, but representatives were sent instead. After the meeting, as persons left the facility, no one seemed willing to disclose what was discussed.
When Newsday contacted Duke he said he did not want to discuss what was said in the meeting as it was “private”.
Later, speaking to media at Woodford Square in Port-of-Spain following his attendance at performances by British and Chinese military bands, Warner was asked about the meeting and he said he was asked to meet with about 30 to 40 gang leaders but he did not.
“They asked me to come and meet with them. I did not go. I sent the Chairman of the Organised Law Enforcement Policy, Keith Reno. I told him to go and see what they wanted and if what they wanted is within the realm of the law, we shall do it. In other words, I didn’t turn my back on them, I sent him to meet with them, but I did not go. So I have not had his report as yet, but when it does come, we shall deal with it through the AG (Attorney General), through the Ministry of Justice, or of course through the Cabinet,” Warner said.
This was not the first time a government has met with community leaders. In 2006, former Prime Minister Patrick Manning met with community leaders to sign a peace accord to stop the spate of gang killings and violence along the East-West Corridor. He also met with leaders in 2002.
uncle sam wrote:so why they don't lock up these bastards?
Country_Bookie wrote:There's a big difference between a Prime Minister requesting a meeting with these gang leaders to someone from the Office of Law Enforcement Policy attending a meeting that the gang leaders arranged themselves, that also included the president of a major trade union.
Anyway, let's see if Jack follows Manning in giving them free money via CEPEP ghost gangs so they can purchase more sophisticated weapons.
Country_Bookie wrote:There's a big difference between a Prime Minister requesting a meeting with these gang leaders to someone from the Office of Law Enforcement Policy attending a meeting that the gang leaders arranged themselves, that also included the president of a major trade union.
Anyway, let's see if Jack follows Manning in giving them free money via CEPEP ghost gangs so they can purchase more sophisticated weapons.
rfari wrote:Country_Bookie wrote:There's a big difference between a Prime Minister requesting a meeting with these gang leaders to someone from the Office of Law Enforcement Policy attending a meeting that the gang leaders arranged themselves, that also included the president of a major trade union.
Anyway, let's see if Jack follows Manning in giving them free money via CEPEP ghost gangs so they can purchase more sophisticated weapons.
u cyar be srs. really? really?
Country_Bookie wrote:Let's wait and see what's the outcome of the meeting. Manning called his meeting because he thought if he gave the gangs free money via CEPEP they would stop committing crimes. We all know how that worked out.
Let's see if Jack is so dotish.
More peace plans to fight crime
CAMILLE CLARKE Thursday, September 7 2006
A meeting of elders, community leaders, gang members and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Roger Boynes took place yesterday to discuss peace plans and to appoint an executive committee. The meeting held at the Crowne Plaza, Port-of-Spain, discussed avenues of fighting crime. The event was sponsored by the Ministry.
Gang leaders and community activists from Port-of-Spain, Laventille and environs held two meetings that followed a peace march on Sunday.
UNC candidate for Laventille, Sean Francis, TUCO president, Michael Legerton, Spiritual Baptist Mother Monica Randoo, Warrior Princess (representative of community active group for Laventille) and former PNM senator Muhammud Shabazz also attended the meeting.
Minister Boynes told Newsday there was progress at the talks.
“Things have calmed down a bit, and we are optimistic. We are here to listen to what the community leaders would like, and their concerns,” Boynes said.
The Minister said the men have asked for employment opportunities, sporting programmes, youth training, and the upgrading of sporting facilities.
When asked about the three murders that had occurred two hours after Sunday’s peace march, Boynes responded, “We are now dealing with the Laventille area, and those leaders are now attending the peace talks.”
Monica Randoo said there were many acts of crime hence the situation must be studied in a holistic context. “This (meeting) is what we should be getting for Independence! The youths are trying to change their lives,” Randoo stated.
Christopher Williams, also known as “Blues” said the talks were to keep crime low and hope that peace will begin.
Country_Bookie wrote:Let's wait and see what's the outcome of the meeting. Manning called his meeting because he thought if he gave the gangs free money via CEPEP they would stop committing crimes. We all know how that worked out.
Let's see if Jack is so dotish.
redmanjp wrote:saw this on d news last night- was surprized no one post it at the time
now didn't they criticize PNM for doing this?
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