Opposition Leader/Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley says the time has come for harsh penalties to be meted out to those who choose to obtain and use firearms against the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. He expressed this view in light of the incident in which four men were murdered and three injured at Jonestown, Mausica Lands, Arima, on Thursday night. The dead men have been identified as Keyon Boldan, 23, James Brusco, 50, Lester Malino, 37, and a man identified as 'Pinchers' who is believed to be from Mayaro. The injured were Alvin Duncan, Ian Richardson and Eugene Khan.
In a statement issued yesterday, Rowley said: "The location and removal of illegal firearms and their users should be the number one priority of the security services. "The laws need to be reviewed to make violent crime involving the use of firearms an offence which should see the perpetrators put away for a long, long time on a mandatory basis." Rowley said the Opposition was prepared to hold the necessary discussions with the Government to facilitate any appropriate changes in the laws that would lead to more effective policing and swift justice in an effort to confront the current siege.
The statement added: "The Opposition is also demanding a greater effort and allocation of resources directed towards the root causes of the crime situation, as far as they are located in juvenile delinquency, poor parenting and other similar social challenges." Without mincing words, Rowley said the apparent random shooting and mass killing of innocent bystanders in a public place indicates citizens are "no safer now than before." "It points to an alarming and terrifying escalation in the local violent crime situation. Notwithstanding the Government's propaganda which is based on manipulation of crime statistics, this latest outrage in Arima clearly confirms it matters not how comparative statistics are interpreted. Citizens are no safer now than before.
Rowley lamented the society was under siege. The release said: "In the current situation, the only logical conclusion the society can come to is we are under siege and the current crime fighting methods are not turning the tide in favour of the law abiding majority. "Under these circumstances there is urgent need for a re-doubling of the effort to stop the flow of guns into the country, take guns out of the hands of criminals and keep criminals off the streets and out of our neighbourhoods."