Former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith says the Prime Minister had no choice but to extend the State of Emergency, due to what he calls the failure of law enforcement leadership to control crime.
Griffith says previous crime-fighting measures, including the National Operations Centre, Rapid Response Unit, Highway Patrol, and Community Comfort Patrol, helped reduce serious crime without an SOE.
He says the request to extend the SOE is an admission that law enforcement cannot manage crime with the powers already available.
Griffith also warned that a prolonged SOE could damage public confidence, affect travel advisories, and hurt investment, tourism, and the economy.
