Violent crimes, in particular murders, have been fuelling fear in the society.So said acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams during a telephone interviewyesterday.In a previous statement over the weekend, Williams said last year had been the most successful year in policing in T&T for many decades."We recorded a 26 per cent reduction in serious crimes over the 2012 annual total. It is the lowest annual total of serious crimes for last 29 years. We recorded a 30 per cent reduction in violent crimes with the exception of murders."There was a 14 per cent reduction in road traffic accidents and 21 per cent reduction in deaths on our roadways. The road deaths represented the lowest road fatality figure for the last ten years."I can go on and on with the successes of 2013 under my leadership," Williams had said.
He admitted that there was still more work needed to be done when it came to murders.Saying fear had "numerous features," Williams said the one which had the greatest impact on society was violent crime.He added: "You could have no serious crimes at all but once you have violent crimes that is when fear would step in."We continue to have murders, especially in instances where people are being gunned down, and that by itself continues to fuel that fear of crime generally, even though there has been a drastic decrease in serious crimes."It is not the police alone who has to work but the society also has to work on impacting the level of violent crime. I am not satisfied with this issue of violent crime but it is an issue we continue to work hard at."
On the issue of reported death threats made to CCN investigative journalist Mark Bassant, Williams said he had already spoken on the matter.He was criticised for reportedly making statements insinuating that Bassant might have invited trouble through his recent reporting.He was quoted as saying: "There were a lot of statements and utterances made by Mr Bassant which have been very irresponsible on his part on things which are incorrect, which I know as a fact are incorrect, which I can't just put in the public domain, based on the office I hold and the access to information I have."Some of that, I believe, may have triggered the issue of a threat being made against Mr Mark Bassant."
Press institutes condemn it
On its Web site the International Press Institute (IPI) yesterday condemned the threats made against Bassant."We condemn the threats made against Mr Bassant which have highlighted the dangers that journalists face when attempting to reveal information that is in the public interest, even in a country like T&T, where this form of harassment is unusual," IPI Press Freedom manager Barbara Trionfi said in a statement."We urge the authorities to fully investigate these threats and bring the perpetrators to justice, thereby ensuring that press freedom in T&T is upheld and that courageous journalists, like Mr Bassant, can carry out their work."IPI's regional partner, the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), also shared its alarm concerning the matter.
Transparency dismayed
In a press release issued yesterday the T&T Transparency Institute said it was gravely concerned by Williams' statement."TTTI is further dismayed at the statement ascribed to the acting Commissioner of Police. A death threat cannot be excused or justified under any circumstances and in fact requires official condemnation from the Government and the Opposition."Transparency calls for immediate, concerted action to send a clear message of unqualified protection of the freedom of the press as well as of protection for all individual citizens of T&T," the organisation added.