Williams: Don’t judge on murders alone

In a TV6 television news interview on Tuesday, he urged police accountability in the anti-crime fight. “If I was in charge of the police we would get results. If we were not getting results I would be the first one to fire myself if I ran the Police Service,” he said.

“Leadership at the top of the police needs to be held accountable.” Estrada mourned the recent murder of Brazil schoolgirl, Rachael Ramkissoon, 16, and other females, as he urged that more be done against crime . “We spend a loft of resources here in training and to just see the homicide rate continue to spiral out of control”. Apparently referring to Police Complaints Authority head, David West, remarks on rogue officers, Estrada said, “In any organisation you have five or 10 percent of bad actors and he was right to say that and I support him. In any organisation if someone says ‘we’ve got 100 percent of folks doing right, they are lying to themselves.” He warned that as for police officers, soldiers too can have corruption can set into them if they stay on the streets for too long doing crime-fighting.

Estrada said the law-courts too must do more against crime.

“You need judicial system reform,” he said. “It’s mind-boggling to me that you could arrest someone for a crime and they don’t come to trial for two to seven years.” He urged more persons to practice good corporate social responsibility for helping Laventille (where he grew up), saying many persons want help which will be a big investment in the country’s future.

In a response yesterday, during a press conference, Ag Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said he would be the first to walk (resign) if he were dissatisfied with his efforts against crime and the results, but said a basket of 12 serious crimes (including larceny) have shown a marked reduction.

“If murder was the only crime to occur in TT, I would have resigned. But if you look at the numbers for 2015 and 2016, those are the lowest serious crime totals for the last 33 years. Would you judge (someone’s performance) on one item,” he asked.

Williams said that a shooting could turn into a wounding which itself could end up as a murder. “You cannot discard and say judge me on murder.

You have to look at all the violent incidents.” In a brief telephone interview - before yesterday’s press conference, Williams told Newsday: “In simple language, the US Ambassador is a foreign diplomat and I will not in any way be disrespectful to him.”