Tough anti-gang, anti-crime measures coming

The government of Trinidad and Tobago is making dramatic changes to existing legislation aimed at dealing with crime and criminal gangs.

Subhas Panday, minister in the ministry of national security, told reporters Thursday some of the changes would allow the courts to forfeit the property of gang members.

And persons found guilty of harbouring anyone who has committed a gang-related offence will be fined $150,000 or face five years imprisonment.

Panday said under the proposed legislation any person who becomes a member of a gang or professes to be a gang member would be tried indictably and if convicted jailed for 20 years with hard labour.

He said the law if tougher on persons who are members of the protective services, who face 25 years in prison with hard labour.

Helping someone who is a criminal gang member commit a crime would also bring hefty penalties, including a fine of a half a million dollars or face 20 years in prison.

"We want to deal with gang warfare in schools, so we are sending a message to those young gang members that anyone within 500 metres of a school, recruits to a gang a person whom he knows or suspects is a child, commits an offence and is liable to a fine on summary conviction to 15 years," Panday said.

Panday said there would be $400,000 fine of a penalty of 15 years in prison with hard labour for persons possessing such items as bullet-proof vests, firearms and ammunition for the benefit of a gang.

The minister added that the Government intends to amend the Firearms Act, which would put the burden of proof on the accused.

"The minute the police arrest you for possession of a firearm, you are deemed to be in possession of it, until you prove your innocence," he said.

"Dangerous times need serious legislation," the Minister said adding that the penalty for firearm offences would be increased for both possession of weapons and for transferring, selling or importing them.

Another change that's coming is an amendment to the Bail Act which would allow authorities to deny bail and jail for up to 120 days someone charged with a gang-related offence.

"And if you are suspected of a gang-related offence, the police can arrest you and keep you in custody for up to five days without charging you," Panday said.

"The reason for that is that there are spikes in the crime at certain times of the week and the police need that power to protect persons from themselves and from other persons," he said.

The government is hoping for support from the opposition on these measures. However, it has the required three fifths majority of 25 required in the House of Representatives to pass them without support from the other side.

In the Senate, the government needs 19 votes. It has 15 together with one from the Senate President. It would have to rely on getting the other votes from the independents or the opposition, which has six votes in the upper house.