UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said if elected to government, the party will "consider" the reintroduction of hangings.
Her comment came in response to a question from Cunupia businessman Ravi Rampersad during an anti-crime town hall meeting at the Centre Point Mall, Chaguanas on April 3.
In his question, Rampersad expressed frustration with how slowly firearm user licences were being approved and asked if she would revamp the system if elected. He also asked if she would resume hangings to curb the spiralling murder rate.
Without delving into details due to time constraints, Persad-Bissessar said the party already stated its intent to give law-abiding citizens legal firearms.
"On the other issue, it is something that a former UNC government, we had put it into place but the then PNM never supported. It is something that we can once again consider."
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According to media reports, the UNC unsuccessfully tried to bring back the death penalty with the "hanging bill." It was defeated in parliament in 2011 due to a lack of opposition support.
The UNC distributed a 60-point crime "manifesto" outlining its initiatives to combat the scourge if elected.
It includes passing stand-your-ground legislation, making a "home invasion" offence, allow the right to bear arms by making it easier for law-abiding citizens to acquire guns, introducing police officers full-time at schools, increasing municipal police force size, creating respective ministries of defence, home affairs and justice, implementing laws to prevent incarceration of non-violent drug offenders, implementing ankle bracelets and house arrest systems, performing a short-term assessment to identify the scale of illegal immigrants' involvement in criminal activity, increasing and maintaining CCTV cameras throughout the country and establishing a fund for children who have lost one or both their parents to crime
Speaking at the event, former senior superintendent Roger Alexander, the Tunapuna candidate, who has been tipped to be a part of a home affairs ministry, if the party wins the general election, promised the protective arms of the state all the necessary resources if the UNC wins the election.
"I want to give law enforcement, the Coast Guard, Fire Services (and) the army all the necessary equipment they need in this fight."
He said they also need to benefit from a network of smart technology tied back to all police stations to facilitate quick response times.
"Our approach to crime will be lawful but yet aggressive because when the criminals come for you, you have no rights."
Endorsing the party's proposed stand-your-ground laws and intent to make firearms more easily accessible to law-abiding citizens, he said, "we must give citizens an opportunity to defend themselves."
