600 returning cops deployed to 18 hot spots

FOLLOWING a 10 am briefing yesterday at the Criminal Investigation Department, Central Police Station, Port of-Spain by the the Commssioner of Police Trevor Paul, over 600 police officers recalled from vacation have been redeployed to 18 identified high-risk hot spots all over TT. While some will be returning to their stations, where they were before going on vacation, others have been deployed to other stations, some in uniform and others in plain clothes. The CoP also spoke to officers at the CID Department in Port -of-Spain. While police sources refused to say what were the exact numbers deployed to each station because it is part of a “Crime plan” they did say that the present system will stay in place until the police hierarchy is convinced that crime is at an acceptable, manageable level.

All vacationing officers present in TT had their vacation cut short by the CoP last week with orders to report for duty on Monday. Despite the Police Social and Welfare Association venting their anger on how the order was made through the media it advised officers they did not have to respond since the order was not made in the right way, the majority of officers refused the advice. Information is that 750 officers were on vacation at this time. Sources also told Newsday that in his deliberations Paul told the officers,” the situation was not political, but their services was needed at this time.”