Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 10/Feb 07:32

UNC candidate: Young offenders being abandoned

ATTORNEY and United National Congress’ (UNC) candidate for Aranguez/St Joseph Devesh Maharaj said the country is failing its youths. He was speaking at the party's virtual media conference on February 9. His comments were also based on a media report in which acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) Junior Benjamin said gangs are replacing the role of the family unit. “You can no longer go to the basketball courts at night because they are taken over by gangs. You are not seeing anyone playing small goal in the road as we used to do when we were younger,” Maharaj said. Maharaj said youth is TT’s future and the acting CoP effectively said the country was failing them. “We all recognise we are failing the youth, but we have something to do. We have policies we intend to put forward to remedy the situation.” He said a policy change within institutions like the police might be necessary to truly fight crime. He said people could talk all they want but if the country does not implement policies and measures put forward to aid in the crime fight, it could lose the war. Maharaj asked how the country would work if the public lost trust in institutions. “The said institutions are recognising – despite their best efforts, because the police work very hard – that they have lost (the people's) confidence. "Shouldn’t there be a policy reorganisation, a new policy change. “It is only the executive who can make these changes,” he said. Maharaj said the UNC has plans to address the crime problem including support of the transnational organised crime unit, enhancing covert operations at seaports and ports, full implementation of the national operation centre and integrated crime statistics. He also asked if the government had done work to implement the recommendations of the Needham Point Declaration on Criminal Justice Reform. The declaration was developed out of the seventh biennial law conference held in Bridgetown Barbados from October 18-20, 2023. Maharaj said Caricom jurists and country executives came together and developed the 39-point declaration to aid in addressing crime across the region. It was then recognised that crime was stifling social and economic development across the region. Crime was also a major problem in his constituency, he said. Many small and medium businesses like bars and restaurants were closing early because of crime, he added. “Less people are coming out to participate in these businesses so people are being put out of work, people are spending less, people are not coming out,” he said. While people were still going to big parties, throughout the country, the social and economic development were being stifled. He said the Needham declaration spoke to laws being enacted and appropriate measures being implemented to provide a diversion for young offenders and rehabilitation and reintegration of all offenders into society. Maharaj said TT signed up to it and while the government may have taken certain steps along these lines, he questioned whether people heard about them or knew about them. He said in St Kitts and Nevis and Jamaica, regular meetings were held with the public to inform them of the developments. “I am calling upon the government, if, indeed, some measures are being taken, please let us know about it. We have to have buy-in. If we don’t have buy-in, as a stakeholder in this process, where are we going?” He suggested a public awareness programme be done. Parenting classes/workshops were also a part of the UNC’s anti-crime plans. This was previously implemented under the People's Partnership under former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Maharaj said. “We intend to fund community mentoring programmes,” he said. The party hopes to work with faith-based organisations to do this. “We are going to be encouraging our faith-based organisations to reach out into the society, encourage the young ones to come in through service.” It also intends to form community-support councils in every electoral district, Maharaj said. The post UNC candidate: Young offenders being abandoned appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.