Deputy Commissioner: ID law will make policing easier

DCP Operations Junior Benjamin -

DCP Operations Junior Benjamin says the implementation of laws mandating people to always have national identification them will make policing easier.

Speaking at a post-cabinet media briefing on July 10, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander said the move is in an effort for the police to enforce proposed changes which would raise the legal age limit to consume alcohol, use marijuana and gamble.

On July 7, at a political platform in Penal the Prime Minister proposed increasing the legal age to drink alcohol from 18 to 21 and increasing the age to smoke marijuana and gamble from 18 to 25.

Alexander said the new laws will make it easier to detect minors who consume alcohol.

“I could say I’m 40 years old, but I am 17, so some people, more so, must walk with some form of ID so police can ascertain your age and your address. So it’s something we are looking to address.”

He said the issue is already before the Attorney General for consideration.

Speaking with Newsday on July 13 Benjamin said he did not believe the law would be outlandish.

“I know in foreign countries people are required to (always have) ID, so I don’t see it as something out of the way.”

Benjamin said the hardest part would be getting citizens to obey the law if it came, as it was not a part of local culture.

“I don’t see it as something that cannot be implemented. It can be done.

“It’s just that we have to have it within our culture and it’s going to probably take a little while. I think once we start incrementally applying the principle, after a while it will become part of the culture.”

Benjamin said it would also require consultation, and proper implementation and execution by police.

Asked if he believed the law would make policing easier, Benjamin said yes.

He noted monitoring under-age drinking and identifying wanted criminals were just two areas which the law could help make policing easier.

“Certainly it is going to help us in that regard, and anything where we are able to identify persons.”

He added it could also help in monitoring priority offenders.

“We want to ensure that we have intelligence-led policing. When we have the data, that data can go into a particular data bank and it is going to help us… We can put data mechanisms to monitor, (those) people and what they’re doing and their whereabouts.”