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  • 6 hours ago
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles is weighing in on the discourse surrounding the laying of charges against Kaia Sealy in the Joshua Samaroo case, calling for the urgent enforcement of bodycamera usage by police officers. The Opposition Leader is also renewing a call for the Police Complaints Authority to be given more powers. Rynessa Cutting reports.
Transcript
00:00Amid heightened concern in the public domain over the laying of charges against Kaya Seeley,
00:07opposition leader Penelope Beckles is calling for urgent intervention.
00:12That matter with Seeley and Samu, I mean that touched I think almost every citizen was concerned about that matter
00:20and I think the whole country was waiting patiently to see what was the outcome.
00:24I have said over and over that an important intervention must be body cameras.
00:31I mean it must, you must have a situation where the public feels fairly confident that we have the best
00:40possible evidence that is available
00:43because had there been no video footage, we, at least we would not have really got nothing as to what
00:49it is that transpires.
00:51The integrity of the leadership of the TTPS has been called into question in light of the most recent developments.
00:59However, the opposition leader notes the buck does not stop with the TTPS.
01:04The most important thing as it relates to fighting crime will always be the issue of trust
01:10because you know that the first call will also, will always be the police officers who do the statements,
01:18who do the investigations, who submit the report to the TPP,
01:21who in most instances would be the ones to decide whether a case has been made out
01:26so that you would see where it is based on the evidence submitted to him, that the TPP then makes
01:33a decision.
01:34But Beckles believes more checks and balances are beneficial.
01:38She's issuing a renewed call for the police complaints authority to be strengthened.
01:43The powers of the PCA, whether the PCA has enough resources and whether as a country we are satisfied
01:51that an organization like them has the kind of teeth to be able to ensure that when they are concerned
01:59that the complaints, that you are satisfied that they have the resources and additional, well, power, first of all,
02:06that we feel sufficiently satisfied that once they submit a report, that of course goes to the next step
02:12because the concern sometimes is who is investigating who.
02:16Many instances is the police investigating the police.
02:20The opposition leader is calling on the government to work with the opposition in the fight against crime.
02:27And that is why the position of the opposition is if you bring good legislation, we will support you.
02:33Not only that, I have also said that we are prepared to work with the government, to sit and work
02:39with the government
02:39because the issue of crime and the solution is not just for the government and the opposition,
02:45it's for the churches, it's for the teachers, it's for every single person.
02:49But the government is not giving the impression that they are willing to work with the opposition
02:54and that they are willing to demonstrate what exactly is their plan to deal with crime.
03:00As a matter of fact, outside of the state of emergency, they have no crime.
03:05Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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