$200,000 to keep the peace in Enterprise

This was revealed yesterday during the weekly police press briefing where Superintendent Richard Smith said that “Operation Enterprise” — a specific anti- crime operation for the Central Trinidad area — was a resounding success since its launch recently by National Security Minister Edmund Dillon. Supt Smith is coordinating the operation and yesterday reported to the media on its success. He said that for the year, Enterprise in Chaguanas has experienced 18 murders during a bloody battle between two criminal gangs for control of turf in which to conduct illegal activities including robberies and drug trafficking.

He said that since “Operation Enterprise” was launched, which has seen a detailed and sustained police and solider presence in Enterprise, crime has fallen dramatically and there has been no murder recorded in that area for weeks. Asked why such a sustained approach could not be duplicated in communities across the country, Supt Smith said the Police Service does not have sufficient resources.

“If only we were able to sustain it, I would like very much to see the operations in Enterprise happen all over the country,” Supt Smith said. “But Operation Enterprise has taken a lot of resources.

We really deploy our personnel as and when the need arises. So to ask why can’t we deploy the same to all areas of Trinidad and Tobago, we just don’t have that amount of resources.” “Generally per capita we would say that we have enough officers, but when we have an area that has been affected you would have to pump more resources into that specific area to bring back a sense of normalcy.” Supt Smith revealed that it costs $200,000 monthly, to sustain “Operation Enterprise” as both police and soldiers have to be paid overtime as officers work 24-hour shifts, meals and drinks for officers on shift and also to properly maintain vehicles used in the operation.

In addition to police and soldiers being visibly present in all areas of the Enterprise community on a 24 hour basis, “Operation Enterprise” has seen officers conduct town meetings and paid visits to schools in order to reconnect with the community. Smith said that from January to March, before “Operation Enterprise”, there were eight woundings, one burglary, one case of larceny and two cases of malicious damage, along with the 18 murders in that community. With the operation in place, there have been no murders committed in Enterprise.

“Our plan is to stay as long as it takes. We want to ensure the residents of Enterprise will feel a sense of safety and security so we will stay there for as long as it takes. We will not just uproot and run,” Supt Smith assured.