Police launch major crime crackdown

Starting today, police and army officers will maintain a visible presence in all divisions throughout the country with one objective — to flush out criminal elements, seize illegal weapons and return communities back to law-abiding citizens.

Yesterday, an emergency meeting was held at the Police Administration Build-ing and chaired by ACP Operations Oswyn Allard. The anti-crime initiative aimed at dealing with criminal activities during the Christmas season was discussed during the meeting, which was attended by senior police and army officers. Newsday learnt that army officers will be deployed in all police divisions and work alongside police officers. The 250 Special  Reserve Police officers who recently underwent training will also be heavily used during the anti-crime initiative. The police and soldiers will work on a round-the-clock basis and all divisions will carry out exercises in a bid to apprehend and flush out the criminal elements.

Senior officers said yesterday that the police and army will have “zero tolerance” against crime for the Christmas season. Special emphasis will be placed on seizing illegal weapons and drug dens will be raided on a daily and nightly basis. “Everywhere you turn, a police and army officer will be within one’s eyesight and the criminal elements will not be allowed to continue to hold the country to “ransom,”  said a senior officer yesterday. Officers told Newsday that they are concerned about the spate of murders in the country.

Up until yesterday, 219 persons were murdered for the year with 24 days remaining until the end of the year. On a daily basis at least one person is killed in violent circumstances. Last year 172 persons were murdered. Contacted yesterday, the ACP Operations said that he had no comment to make on the anti-crime initiatives. However, other senior officers revealed that officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force, based at VMCOTT and under the supervision of Supt Errol Denoon, will provide assistance to any division where crime is rampant.

The divisions earmarked as having a high crime rate are Port-of-Spain, Morvant, Maloney, some parts of Sangre Grande and Arima, some parts of Central, Petit Valley, and some parts of Southern Trinidad. Special patrols will be introduced in Tobago for Christmas to protect visitors in the island. In the Port-of-Spain Division, officers of the Port-of-Spain CID have already started foot patrols and have been joined by officers from the Guard and Emergency Branch, Court and Process and the Mounted Branch. In busy shopping areas, police and soldiers will mingle with shoppers to provide some form of security and at the same time provide surveillance against the criminal elements.

An army post is expected to be set up in Central Division today and soldiers based there will provide back-up assistance to police in Central, Southern and South Western Divisions. Yesterday, members of the business community expressed support for the initiative to have police and soldiers out on the streets on a round-the-clock basis. They feel that the plan will work because the criminal elements will now think twice about robbing a business place during the height of the Christmas season. Christmas shoppers are advised to avoid walking around with large amounts of cash and jewelry. Shoppers are also advised to be on the look-out for purse- snatchers.