Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said the same way there is no ” undisputed fact” that hanging reduces crime, there is also no ” undisputed fact” that it does not deter crime.
His comment follows the recent release by the Law Association of T&T (LATT), which stated that while resuming hangings might serve to assuage the collective need for revenge, the death penalty was not a deterrent to crime.
In its statement on Monday, the association said that calls for automatic bail denial would come at the expense of denying constitutional rights and put the decision on depriving someone of their liberty into the hands of the police.
However, Griffith, in a social media post, said this is obviously not the view of the majority of attorneys.
He said: “It seems that a few defence attorneys of certain elements are using the platform of the Law Association as their launch-pad for their PR campaign, to send media releases to fight for the benefit of their criminal clients.
Griffith said “After the last hanging here, there was 1 murder in the next 10 days. So much for ” undisputed facts”.
He said “They speak of the unsolved murders, but conveniently ignore the many cold blooded killers who they represent, who are presently on death row, who pay these same defence attorneys big money to get them freed, to then cause more distress to law abiding citizens.”
Griffith asked “What research and data gathering has this Law Association done to know if hanging is a deterrent in this country? Taking into consideration the last time this was done in this country. Interesting that certain defence attorneys only show concern about infringement of constitutional rights for those charged for violent crime on innocent citizens. But, never seem to be concerned when the most fundamental right of law abiding citizens is lost. That being the right to live when their clients commit acts of violence be it rape, kidnapping or murder.”
The Commissioner said “My duty is to find these creatures, who kill, rape and kidnap, and try to remove them from society. Whereas certain defence attorneys make it their business to get them back out unto the streets in hours…where they can continue to be threats to law abiding citizens.”
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