Secretive Crime Unit ducks the media

Just three months after their launch, the Special Anti Crime Unit, headed by Brigadier Peter Joseph, made their first major bust last Thursday in which several guns, including an AK-47 rifle, military wear, a bulletproof vest and a mask, were seized at a raid in Laventille. The members of the SACU promised that last week’s raid was just the first of many, as they continue their drive to restore acceptable levels of security within the country. However, while the Unit seems to have started on sound footing, there are still many unanswered questions concerning its operations.

Since the announcement by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, that the special crime fighting unit was in fact going to be formed and that provisions had been made for it in his 2004 Budget presentation, members of the media have found major difficulty in accessing information about the Unit. As a result, many questions remain unanswered, causing reporters to find other methods of obtaining information on the “top secret” crime fighting unit.

Task one was finding out exactly where the Unit was based, or at least operating from for the time being. This information varied, but reliable sources informed Newsday that the Special Anti Crime Unit, started off their operations at an office in the Twin Towers, and recently moved to a location on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain. According to sources, time had been spent in securing the Henry Street location, as the same building had been earmarked for the relocation of the displaced Tranquillity Primary School children.

However, permission was granted recently for the members of the SACU to occupy the premises. While it is still not clear just how many staff members have been recruited for the Special Anti Crime Unit, senior officers attached to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service told Newsday that several officers from different parts of the service have already been transferred to the SACU. Among those transferred are Snr Sup Desmond Lambert, who is second in command to Brigadier Peter Joseph, ASP Carlie Williams from the Narcotics Division and Sgt Wayne Dick from the Homicide Division.