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  • 10 months ago
Crime is the quickest way to a short life. So says Former Teacher, Garth Griffith. Mr Griffith was speaking with the Morning Edition as part of the Scrap Iron Dealers Association's planned crime talks and hamper drive.


Nicole M Romany reports.
Transcript
00:00Mr. Griffith, who lived abroad for 40 years before he was deported to Trinidad and Tobago,
00:07explains that criminality gets you nowhere in life.
00:11He revealed that he was homeless and living on the streets on cardboard boxes, but he
00:18refused to join a life of crime.
00:21The life of crime is very short.
00:23It's either you're going to live or you're going to have a short life, you know.
00:27I choose to have a long life, you know.
00:30I choose not to rob.
00:33Of course, I was engaged to be like a gangster and to be in a gang.
00:39I was engaged.
00:40Don't get me wrong.
00:41I was engaged.
00:42But I said, no, I'm not going to live that type of life, because I want to live.
00:46So people would have approached you in Trinidad and Tobago to join a gang?
00:50He says the grassroots work in depressed communities is extremely important.
00:57Noting that once young people get to a certain level within the gangs, it is hard to get
01:02them out.
01:03According to Griffith, he understands exactly how it feels to have nothing and to be all
01:09alone.
01:10Meanwhile, President of the Scrap Iron Dealers Association, Alan Ferguson, is pleading with
01:17the private sector for support.
01:19He also wants both government and the private companies to assist with at-risk communities.
01:26It's not about bringing things to the community.
01:28You have to work in the community to find out what are the problems with the people
01:34in the community.
01:36Because it's not about work sometimes alone, you know.
01:39It's about the mental mind.
01:41You have to understand that the mind sometimes takes them to different places.
01:46Sometimes some of them grew up in such a home that they have a lot of problems.
01:51And if we don't go in and find out what is the problem, how will we solve the problem?
01:55We think throwing money, throwing all these programs will help it.
02:01No, it can't work like that.
02:02Ferguson tells the business sector, in helping at-risk communities, they help society.
02:10We want to be able to go to these communities every fortnight and when we get your help,
02:16when you help us, you come like you're helping yourself.
02:21When we help them, we will help them not to come to rob you or come and invade your house.
02:28So we're doing a serious part because we have the influence to be able to stop these youths
02:33from going to these communities.
02:35Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
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