As Prime Minister Keith Rowley attempts to address the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago, he once again rejected a proposal by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to use deadly force, stand-your-ground laws for home invasions.
Rowley rejected the proposal saying it can be used to commit ‘legal murder’. He even went so far to call the proposal “dog whistling” and urged his supporters to reject the notion of crime and criminality linked to race, with one targeting the other.
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Speaking at the PNM’s sport and family day at the Toco Composite High School on Sunday afternoon, Rowley said arming citizens was not the answer to the country’s crime problems, and the proposal by the Opposition to enact stand-your-ground legislation is also not a viable solution.
“We will bring legislation to Parliament to create a specific criminal offense of home invasion, which will involve increasing the sentences for larceny, burglary, serious assault, unlawful entry to your properties, whether it be your homes or businesses; and that you will be able to use force – they come using force with guns, cutlasses, whatever it may be.”
Speaking at the United National Congress (UNC) Monday Night Forum in April, Persad-Bisessar said if in power, the UNC would enact such legislation.
She said: “That to me is one of the most terrifying experiences that you could ever imagine. And so we have taken note of this unacceptable situation, and while Dr. Rowley spends two full days talking foolishness at the Hyatt…the UNC will do the following to put an end to this devilish offense of home invasion.
“We will bring legislation to Parliament to create a specific criminal offense of home invasion. I propose that our next UNC government will create this full offense; this will involve increasing the sentences for larceny, burglary, serious assault, and unlawful entry to your properties, whether it be your home or your businesses, and that you will be able to use force, firearm, weapon, cutlass, whatever it may be…we will create that offense with a penalty of 25 years in jail.”
“We will also bring ‘stand your ground’ laws. At the moment the law is, a man invades your house, a woman invades your house, and…you have to use something they call reasonable force. A man going with a gun in your face and you must do nothing.
“I propose that we adopt the ‘stand your ground’ legal principle…this means putting into our laws the legal principle that allows a person to use force in self-defense without retreating.”
Rowley, however, referred to such laws as American-based legislation, which, he pointed out, were currently being challenged in US states that had passed it, although he admits violent behavior, violent crime, violent crime involving the use of firearms, the associated individual and group mental health trauma accompanying violent behavior, pose a far greater destructive threat than many diseases and on that basis alone qualifies violence as a public health emergency.
He said dealing with crime has become a significant drain on the country’s economy and agrees it must be urgently addressed.
Rejecting an invitation to meet with Persad-Bissessar and former police commissioner-turned-politician Gary Griffith on crime solutions, Rowley said the government would win the fight against crime but not through meeting with people who are part of the problem.
The current Section 29 of the Larceny Act states:
“Any person who, with intent to commit any arrestable offence therein—
(a) enters any dwelling house in the night; or
(b) breaks and enters any dwelling house, place of divine worship, or any building within the curtilage, or any school-house, shop, warehouse, counting-house, office, store, garage, pavilion, factory or workshop, or any building belonging to the State, or to any Government department, or to any Municipal or other public authority, is liable to imprisonment for seven years.”
