And Barrow feels that the ComPol is trying to suppress the criticism he receives, and likened it to suppressing the media with the amendment to the criminal code. As we reported, the amendment will criminalize the unauthorized publication of statements, documents, video footage, and other materials.
He believes that this is the BPD and the government's way to cover up crime statistics.
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"I saw that there was an exchange with your learned News Director, Brother Vasquez, and the Commissioner last week debating the 40% increase which is what the statistics tell you and the ComPol saying, no it's less. We've had four murders since the last week or so when I had the last press briefing and we're still in a State of Emergency. So the police department under the stewardship of the Commissioner, has no solution for crime and it leads to my other matter which is very concerning that the solution for crime that they have put forward is to suppress free speech and freedom of press with the proposed bill that they want to introduce or have introduced, we boycotted the last House Meeting but the bill where media and citizens can no longer share information, videos, intelligence, without first getting clearance from the government. Absolutely ridiculous, I know that the Supreme Court in the United States just voted to make Donald Trump a dictator but that is not the direction we're going in here. We still live in a strong democracy and these steps are step of authoritarianism and steps of dictatorship where we're stripping the press of their rights. And that is the solution for crime that the PUP has in place because if you don't report the crime, if we don't know what is happening in San Ignacio for instance, the medical professionals had to tip off the media as to what's happening on the ground, then we would never be aware of it, and that has been quintessential PUP Ministry of Police led by ComPol, led by Kareem Musa to suppress all information, deny all malpractice, deny all poor performances, deny all statistics."
