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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161535492 wrote:Legislation to provide for the "lawful interception" if any communication over any network has been drafted and is to be tabled in the Parliament, National Security Minister Martin Joseph said yesterday.
The Interception of Communications Bill is part of an omnibus legislation which would also include an Anti-Gang Bill (aimed at outlawing gangs), an amendment to the Bail Act and a Security of Information Bill, Joseph told the Senate yesterday as he delivered his budget presentation.
These pieces of legislation, which have been drafted by an Omnibus Committee chaired by Gillian Lucky, are among the 275 recommendations contained in the report presented to the Government by retired Canadian major-general Cameron Ross, Joseph said.
Speaking to the Express afterwards about the Interception of Communications Bill, Joseph said the bill, once enacted, would be a useful tool in the fight against crime, providing for the detecting and preventing of offences, such as murder, kidnapping, treason and drug trafficking.
He added that the information would be a useful tool for law enforcement and the prosecution, when bringing cases before the criminal courts.
Detailing the policy governing the Interception of Communications Bill, Joseph said the security agencies had long realised the value of monitoring communications among "suspected criminals and persons of interest".
"Useful information can be gathered using intercept (methods) to prevent and solve crime," he said. He added that the information acquired through the process of intercepting will be adduced as "compelling and cogent evidence in court".
"The legislation would therefore provide the legal framework within which public or private communications which are being transmitted by means of a public or private communications network can be lawfully intercepted, he explained. He added that such legislation existed in many jurisdictions and was something which various authorities, both local and foreign, have consistently recommended to the Government.
The bill has already gone to the Crime and Justice Commission, headed by Justice Lionel Jones, for its comment and has been sent back to the Lucky Committee for fine-tuning. After this, it will be sent to the National Security Council and then to Parliament, Joseph said.
In his contribution to Parliament, Joseph said the Ross Report also recommended an amendment to the Defence Force Act to give the Defence Force a greater role in assisting security agencies in the fight against crime. A committee chaired by Justice Ulric Cross has worked on this legislation.
In a contribution which held the interest of the Senate, a confident Joseph also stated that his Ministry and law enforcement believed that the country had reached a critical "turning point" in the murder rate.
"The key to my confidence has been the steady improvement in the detection rate for murders, which is now over 21 per cent for this year, against 16 per cent for this time last year," Joseph said.
"We are finally starting to see that all the investments and initiatives of the last few years are beginning to take effect. And I stand by my comments... that the murder rate for 2008 was unacceptable and will not be repeated in 2009," he said.
He added that as troubling as the latest deaths were, the total of 387 deaths to date is still slightly below last year's figure. And not to speak of the "moderate gains" would be to do a great disservice to the men and women in law enforcement who have worked hard to achieve them, he said.
Joseph said Government had provided the resources to fight crime to the best of its ability. He said it can no longer be said that police don't have vehicles. Since 2002, Government had provided 1,002 vehicles. He noted, however, that the challenge was to ensure that the police used the vehicles for police work.
Joseph said there was also a time when people used to talk about police not being properly paid. That too, was a thing of the past since there had been an increase across the board in the salaries of all ranks, ranging from a 47 per cent increase for sergeants to 92 per cent increase for the Assistant Commissioner.
Joseph said "the icing on the cake" was that Government had secured the services of someone who has run police academies in developed societies such as Singapore. He said when this individual comes on board he was sure that the recruit training as well as the in-service training would be up to standard.
Joseph noted that there were 29 police officers on suspension and 249 police officers before the court. It was part of the effort to rein in the rogue elements, he said. He said he had heard people complaining, asking why transfer officers (who are suspected of doing wrong). "I too have my own views," he said, suggesting his views (like those of many of the people who question the transfers) may not always coincide with the disciplinary process set out in the law.
Martin Joseph wrote:He added that as troubling as the latest deaths were, the total of 387 deaths to date is still slightly below last year's figure. And not to speak of the "moderate gains" would be to do a great disservice to the men and women in law enforcement who have worked hard to achieve them, he said.
Damn straight! We need our cable box to continuously watch sheit.wagonrunner wrote:Martin Joseph wrote:He added that as troubling as the latest deaths were, the total of 387 deaths to date is still slightly below last year's figure. And not to speak of the "moderate gains" would be to do a great disservice to the men and women in law enforcement who have worked hard to achieve them, he said.
We Trinis really have our priorities skewed.
100's could convene on FLOW's offices because their cable box is faulty, but this sheit continues.
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