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  • 10 months ago
If nothing is done to protect prisons officers, it is only a matter of time before one is killed.


These are the words of Prisons Officer's Association President Gerard Gordon following another attack on a prisons officer today. Alexander Bruzual has more in this report.
Transcript
00:00At about 3.30am on Wednesday, the Malabar home of a senior prison officer was targeted
00:06by gunmen.
00:08No one was injured, however, police found over 20 spent shells and projectiles on the
00:13scene.
00:14This is the third such incident over the last three days, as on Monday morning, the Karapo
00:20homes of two prison officers were shot by unknown assailants.
00:25No one was injured in that incident either.
00:28In total, 14 spent 9mm shells and one projectile were found at the scene of that shooting.
00:35This afternoon, President of the Prisons Association, Gerard Gordon, once again said that he was
00:41grateful that the latest incident also resulted in no injuries.
00:46However, he warned that it was only a matter of time before the luck of prisons officers
00:52runs out.
00:53We would have had three officers' homes shot at, shot up over the last few days.
01:06Certainly, it brings to the fore the experience of prison officers when it comes to threat
01:14against our lives, attacks, and all the other supporting castes that we have to deal with
01:22on a day-to-day basis.
01:25It has been proven, senior, junior, it doesn't matter, once the element is in that mode of
01:34they wanting to send a message, they don't care who it is.
01:37He reiterated his calls for the state to provide prison officers with personal firearms so
01:42that they can stand a fighting chance against criminal elements.
01:47We have been continuing to advocate for a number of items, namely the arming of all
01:54officers through issuance of FULs.
01:57However, with the attacks this week, he was also calling on the states to provide housing.
02:03Because after an officer has built his home and then you have something like this happen,
02:08I mean, where does one go in this situation?
02:13Certainly, the prison service is not equipped with any of that sort of resources to say
02:19we can relocate officers at a moment's notice.
02:24Gordon also confirmed that the association had met with Prison Commissioner Carlos Kurasp
02:29today at the Maximum Security Building in Aruka.
02:33The meeting lasted just under three hours.
02:36While Gordon did not go into details of what was discussed, he did note that the prison
02:40commissioner had pledged to support his officers to ensure their safety.
02:45I can say that we have a good commissioner.
02:49Whatever resources he has, he is utilizing it.
02:54It's not much, but at the same time, I'm saying that what he's doing now, no one has ever done.
03:04I'll say that without giving too much details.
03:07He has given his commitment to use all that is available to him to be able to support
03:14in whatever way he can and treat it and address this whole situation and the safety of officers,
03:20especially off-duty.
03:22Alexander Broussois, TV6 News.
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