But the UDP Shadow Minister for National Security says the government has got it all wrong - and that the entire state of emergency is misconceived and based on bad intelligence and incomplete information.
Mike Peyrefitte made his case for us today:
Mike Peyrefitte, UDP Shadow Minister, National Security
"I have good information, credible information that the whole state of emergency situation came about with the murder of Alrick Smith. There was a feeling in the department that once that murder took place that there would be some serious retaliation. The investigation however led the police to realize that that was not a gang related crime, it was a personal situation that lead to that crime and hence there wasn't the aggression and the press conferences and the usual barrage or blitz or police activity in that area, because they realize it was not gang retaliated and even the gang elements in the streets were telling the police this is not gang related, this is personal."
"The investigation then led to a person of interest being a corporal of police. A corporal of police who part of the security detail of a high-ranking police officer and a current driver for a high-ranking government official. But when the police went and secured that person and was taking that person back to the police station to be questioned, a call was made that that person is to be released and so that person was released upon the instruction of higher people than whoever was transporting him to be questioned."
Jules Vasquez
"That person being the corporal."
Mike Peyrefitte, UDP Shadow Minister, National Security
"Yes, to release this corporal and like I said this morning I don't want to yet release the name of the corporal. I don't want to yet release the name of who he currently drives for, because I would hope that an investigation would take place, but it's not going to be swept under the rug. If they don't continue with this investigation and the information that I get, if in case they are not taking it seriously, well then I will release the names for the whole country to know."
"How can you do state of emergency hurriedly without proper investigation. You just don't do a state of emergency."
Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Peyrefitte, the government and police would not be so irresponsible to send men to jail for 30 days."
Mike Peyrefitte, UDP Shadow Minister, National Security
"We should never do that without proper information. If a person is killed, not every crime is gang related. If a person is in a gang and that person is murdered or involved in a crime, it doesn't necessarily mean that its automatically gang related. People have personal lives and personal issues, so a person you think is gang related is murdered, you do an investigation to see first if that was gang related. In this case they didn't do that investigation. Right away they instituted a state of emergency. When the state of emergency was happening and they were grabbing one or two people as these people were coming in they were learning that this was not a gang related murder. This was a personal situation."
"You cant pull it back, because there will be egg on your face, so they have to continue the facade like they need a state of emergency and that is also a tragedy."
Jules Vasquez
"You can't really believe that."
Mike Peyrefitte, UDP Shadow Minister, National Security
"I know that. I know for a fact."
Jules Vasquez
"Dozens of men will spend 30 days in jail, because somebody botched the investigation..."
Mike Peyrefitte, UDP Shadow Minister, National Security
"Thats my belief. My belief is this: there are going to lock up these people, because they cannot admit that the reason they had the state of emergency - what was told to the minister to make him sign that state of emergency was that the Alrick Smith murder would cause a huge backlash."
