AG Ramlogan has no apologies for talking tough to police

Last week Attorney General Anand Ramlogan met with Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and some senior police officers as part of a government delegation that included Prime Minister Kamla persad-Bissessar and National Security Minister Brig. John Sandy.

The meeting was called to discuss the crime problem in the country and to enquire about what police are doing to deal with the problem.

The AG had some tough words for the police, telling them it's time to start thinking outside the box to solve crime. Reports say his tough talk caused some officers to feel demoralised. Others, the reports say, added that Ramlogan had crossed the line.

The Express Newspaper asked Ramlogan for his comments on the situation. The comments below, attributed to Ramlogan, are reproduced from the paper:

"I make no apologies for challenging the top brass of the Police Service to think outside the box in an effort to generate fresh ideas because I see that as part of their mandate and duties.

"I think the Police Service probably doesn't appreciate the raw and harsh reality that citizens face on the ground... They (citizens) are frustrated, helpless, depressed and angry about the crime situation...

"There are some good officers whom we salute and pay tribute to, but we cannot compliment and encourage mediocrity. I, therefore, challenged the officers to think outside the box and as the hierarchy of the Police Service, come up with five new ideas that had not been tried before in the fight against crime.

"If we continue to do the same thing, the same way, and expect different results, then we are an irrational people... It is clear that our crime-fighting strategies must be reviewed because they have not been working... 

"I asked that the police partner with the community at the grassroots level by appearing on programmes such as radio talk shows and social programmes, such as Ian Alleyne's Crime Watch, because the public's confidence in the Police Service has been eroded, and these non-traditional mediums may re-establish a different type of traction and connection with the people on the ground...

"I gave (them) a few of my own ideas, including the establishment of a virtual police post with a strong presence on the internet, including Facebook ,Twitter and YouTube, to interface with the public at a different level, consistent with modern trends in other developed countries."

"I proposed ring-fencing known crime hot spots with high-quality CCTV cameras that can act as permanent police officers."