Dear Editor,
I am a Police Officer and a weekly reader of your newspaper AMANDALA, which is very informative. I am very concerned about the crime situation within the country and I hear a lot of suggestions on how to curb it.
Some of the suggestions, in my opinion, are far fetched. I would like to put my “little one cent” as a citizen who has a lot of experience in law enforcement (16 years and counting). We cannot afford a “witness protection program” due to its high cost, both financially and human resource wise.
My suggestion is to amend the Section 263 of the Criminal Code Chapter 101 in respect to the crime of “SUPRESSION OF EVIDENCE ON CRIMINAL TRIAL” so that the penalty is more severe. For example: If a person threatens a witness into not testifying in a case of attempted murder (or even murder) and is subsequently arrested for the crime mentioned above, he should be given a custodial sentence to fit the crime that he had wanted to suppress (maybe ten to fifteen years imprisonment). This in itself would make someone think twice before threatening witnesses wantonly.
This suggestion was passed on to the then DPP Mr. Kirk Anderson, who at the time mentioned to me that it was a good idea. I believe by having members of the community, including the press, begin a campaign like this, this will at the end of the day, be fruitful.
I am a serving police officer, so please don’t use my name. I offer my contribution so that we have a more secure society like in the old days when RESPECT was found at HOME and on the STREETS.
Thanks.