Law enforcement officers who assist gangs in any way will be slapped with the same 25 year jail term which gang leaders will face under the anti-gang law, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said yesterday.
Speaking in the House of Representatives on a report concerning the legislation, Ramlogan said:
"I want to send a strong message to the security agencies-Police, Army, Prisons-if the police or anyone gets involved in gang related activities and supports gangs, they will be treated as though they are on par with the leader of the gang and will be subject to 25 years' (jail), same as for gang leaders."
"...If they give information about what the police are doing...if officers leak information to gangs to tell them when a road block is being set up or when a crackdown is being done, or if they rent out their guns-if they persist in that kind of behaviour, they will be treated on par with gang leaders." The House was discussing the report of a joint select committee which examined Government's anti-gang legislation. Presentations were made to the committee by the Police Association and attorney Russell Martineau SC.
Ramlogan said several changes were made to the bill. Among them being that Government agreed to the Opposition's suggestion that the initially proposed penalty of life in prison for gang leaders be reduced to 25 years. Ramlogan said the Opposition PNM felt the life term was too harsh. He said there had been a 20 per cent increase in gangs over the 18 month period between June 2008 and 2010. Gangs grew in number from 93 to 110, Ramlogan added. The largest increases were in the Northern Division where gangs increased from 12 to 17 gangs and Central Division where the number grew from five to nine. Tobago also registered an increase from two gangs to five. "Gangs have mushroomed and multiplied almost beyond control and we have to try to nip it in the bud," Ramlogan added. Under the proposals, first time offenders will receive a ten year jail sentence at the Magistrates' Court. Second time offenders will be subject to 20 years in jail. A 25 year sentence is in store for persons who coerce youth into joining a gang or who try to prevent them from leaving its membership.
The bill includes penalties for persons-such as a parent-who harbour or conceal gang members whom they know to be involved in crime, or are profiting from the proceeds. "If you know your child is in a life of crime, you better watch out because the long arm of the law will come after the child and anyone who harbours the child," he declared. Ramlogan said those parents or persons who genuinely counsel gang members will not be subject to penalties. Persons who boast of being in gangs and benefit from crime will be penalised. But those who merely hold "bragging rights" about gang membership will not be, Ramlogan said. Penalties will also apply to gang members who try recruiting members from around orphanages or technical-vocational and other institutes.