THE Prime Minister said he was “very disappointed” at the country’s rate of violent crime, as the year’s murders were reportedly at 615 people as of December 27. In a post on Facebook in the early hours of that day, Dr Rowley called for more action by the police, judges and the family members of criminals.

He said the judiciary should “stop pretending that criminals are the victims” and that they deserved not mercy but punishment.

Hours after his public lament came word of two more murders, on December 27.

Reports were that a woman named Monica Ghany was shot dead in an incident at King’s Wharf, San Fernando in which a man who was thought to be her son was also shot and wounded and taken to San Fernando General Hospital.

Nicholas Smith, 23, of Upper La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin, was reportedly shot dead near Diego Martin Sporting Complex.

In the past 24 hours, the nation was also shocked by the discovery of a man’s body in a burning car and by the gangster-styled killing of a fisherman by a pillion rider on a motorcycle to whom his bodyguards gave chase shooting fruitlessly.

“I am very disappointed in the out-turn where once again in this small nation, frequent killings see us, for the second year straight, recording over 600 deaths attributed to widespread violence,” Rowley said in a post on the page of the Office of the Prime Minister..

He said the “unacceptable high level of violent crime” in TT has attracted the State’s consistent attention and considerable resources, but much remained to be done in many areas.

“It was my hope and genuine expectation that the ongoing national effort against violent crime, particularly murders and other violent assaults, would have seen a visible reduction in number as we go forward.”

He lamented criminal minds were undeterred by the significant efforts of the Ministry National Security’s agencies. Criminals operate as if without any fear of detection or any certainty of timely, dissuading punishment, the PM said.

“As much as the police has done, they are required to do much more if the stated objectives are to be attained.

“The Government will continue to provide full support to the Police and other agencies and encourages all stakeholders from the home to the courthouse to provide no safe harbour and comfort to the criminal element which believes that it can plan, execute and terrorise the nation with impunity.

“If I am to make some special appeals they are to the Police that they make the criminals uncomfortable with penetrating detection methods.”

Rowley said to curb criminality, more must be done at the state level.

He also called on undefined “households of interest” to get involved in doing more to increase the safety and security which all people so desperately need.

“To those who know and are doing or saying nothing, stop normalising criminal conduct in your social life and to those who share the proceeds of violent criminal conduct, stop encouraging or shielding your family members and friends who are engaging in criminal conduct.”

R