Senior Reporter
shane.superville@guardian.co.tt
Criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad says while “hard” policing operations are a necessary part of any crime-fighting initiative, he hopes that social interventions and community-level engagement would still form a critical part of the proposed Special Operations Bill.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Dr Seepersad said he read the revised version of the Bill, which succeeds the defeated Zones of Special Operations Bill, noting that certain provisions were included to ensure a higher degree of accountability on the part of police.
He said the revised Bill, however, did not include provisions for social intervention which formed a significant part of the earlier strategy, noting that the absence of any restorative strategies to help strengthen communities was a “step back.”
Seepersad argued that such an approach to crime-fighting was important to achieving long-term change as it would directly affect crime in these communities at the source, rather than addressing the after effects.
“I’ve always maintained that we can’t tackle the crime problem adequately, in any meaningful, long-term way if we don’t address the underlying drivers of the problem.
“If we simply suppress the criminal activity with law enforcement and leave the underlying causes in place that really drives violence in the country, then you’re not doing something meaningful to actually solve the problem.
“You’re just covering up the problem and holding the problem in place, so it’s almost like holding on tightly to a stick of dynamite so that it wouldn’t explode but not actually trying to extinguish the fuse of it.”
He added that he was optimistic that social interventions would take place.
However, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander defended the Government’s approach during debate on the Bill in the House of Representatives on Friday, pointing to a range of community and youth programmes he said would accompany police operations in designated areas.
Responding to concerns about the absence of social programmes in the proposed framework, Alexander said humanitarian and community-based interventions would form part of the Government’s approach.
He said police officers did not need specific legislative authority to assist residents.
“You don’t have to put that in law. That is a humanitarian activity that police does constantly,” Alexander said.
