Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, says “the current headlines and stories in several of today’s newspapers are misleading in the extreme” and were never said by him.
The Commissioner of Police said “we are now, therefore, forced to explain both the chronology of events as well as to precisely show what was said.”
Commissioner of Police, in a media release said that yesterday’s news conference was to address the main issue of missing persons and domestic violence.
He said “in the course of this news conference, the Commissioner was asked by a reporter from the Newsday if a woman were to use an illegal item such as a Taser, pepper spray, or penknife, would that person be charged.”
The Commissioner said he answered the reporter, but not before pointing out that many persons use more than he (the reporter) suggested.
The Commissioner shared that they have become creative and sometimes use aerosols including insect repellent and that such a course of action was fuelled by women feeling threatened and desperate.
The Commissioner of Police said he did not recommend or suggest that persons should use insecticide or insect repellent as a weapon to protect themselves.
“Such a suggestion would be tantamount to the Commissioner of Police inviting persons to do serious damage to others as many repellents can blind persons and occasion serious bodily harm.”
“The TTPS does not intend to attack the free press, however, we are forced to ensure that the context of what was said, and how it was said, is clear.”
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