500 officers respond to Police Chief’s recall

More than 500 police officers yesterday responded to the call by Police Commissioner Trevor Paul to forego vacation leave and return to their respective stations to assist in the fight against crime. The recall came last week following a directive sent by Paul. The officers turned up at the conference room of the Central Police Station in  Port-of-Spain, where they were addressed by the Police Chief.

Paul and members of his executive thanked the officers who turned up yesterday, and, in an hour-long address, told the officers why he had asked them to give up their leave. He told them of the importance of dealing with the crime situation and their role and function in the fight against crime. The officers are expected to return to the conference room at the Central Police Station at 10 am today to be informed of where they would be deployed for duty. At the end of the meeting, Paul said that it was a good turnout of officers, but he was unwilling to say the exact number of officers who returned to duty.

He added that the officers seemed enthusiastic about their return to duty. “I told them what they needed to know,” said the commissioner. He said the officers would be deployed at the hot spot crime areas in all police divisions. Newsday learnt government would soon be asked to offer cash to the officers who have long leave and those who were on leave and recalled to duty. The commissioner intends to have more manpower available to deal with the escalating crime situation. He said that police visibility would be present on a round-the-clock basis.

The group, Communities Mobilising Against Crime (CMAC), yesterday in a release, expressed full support for Paul’s strategic move to recall all police officers to active duty. “CMAC and its members find it refreshing that, unlike many others who continue to blame others for their own ineffectiveness, the new Chief of Police has not only accepted accountability, but he is also taking leadership steps that will motivate the troops under him to take this crime scourge seriously,” the release added.