St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar has called on Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to ensure that law-abiding citizens are issued firearms so that they can defend themselves against the criminal elements.
In a statement yesterday, the MP said last week saw two instances where citizens fought back against the criminality that seems to have covered the nation.
In Couva week, bandits were shot by a security guard, while in San Fernando the owner of a supermarket who was awakened in his bedroom by bandits defended himself and his family with a licensed firearm that led to the death of a potential bandit in his home.
Ramadhar said these incidents served as a wakeup call that this nation “needs to give our law-abiding citizens the ability to protect themselves.”
He said: “For too long we have sat by and have seen our citizens butchered in the streets, in their homes and every place we had hoped to be a safe haven.”
Ramadhar said he has issued a call that, “we revisit and make more efficient the issuing of firearms granted to law-abiding citizens who have passed all the necessary tests and all the necessary requirements, so that we, will have a response to those who wish us harm.”
Ramadhar said he was also calling for those involved in law enforcement to be given the opportunity to carry firearms at all times.
“If they are allowed to carry firearms within the work hours, let them also be permitted to carry firearms when they are “off duty,” Ramadhar said.
“No officer of the State who is involved in public security and safety should ever be deemed to be off duty. They become “sitting ducks,” as we have seen too often with prisons officers. It is high time that we polygraph all those who wish, from the protective services to hold firearms, to be given firearms around the clock, after all the necessary checks are completed.”
He said while he did not wish to see the country inundated with firearms, the reality is that it already is inundated with firearms held by criminals, illegally obtained for the purposes of doing harm. He said while he applauded Griffith for the many steps he had already taken, “I ask you now to look and see whether this is not a way to rebalance our society.”