On-duty cop held for robberies

A 26-YEAR-OLD Special Reserve Police (SRP) constable is expected to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate this morning charged with committing two robberies over the weekend. The officer who at the time was attached to the Police Guard Unit, reportedly abandoned his duties and allegedly carried out two robberies using his police revolver. He was arrested on Saturday night along with his two accomplices, aged 13 and 15, who are his relatives. The three were charged with two robberies in the Woodbrook area. The constable who hails from Picton Road, Laventille, reportedly abandoned his duties at the Immigration Department on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain around 9 pm on Saturday, telling other police officers that he had an errand to carry out.

He and the two schoolboys, police sources alleged, went to Dardain Lane, off Borde Street in Woodbrook, where the police-issue revolver at Jeremy Jagessar, 33, and robbed him of a cell phone. Jagessar made a report to the Woodbrook Police Station and gave full descriptions of the three persons who robbed him. About 15 minutes later, the constable and his schoolboy accomplices, allegedly went to Robert and Gatacre Streets in Woodbrook, where they held up Akomo Paul, 20, and robbed him of nine dollars and a knife. Paul went to the Woodbrook Police Station and also made a report. Cpl Kenneth Joseph of Woodbrook CID and other officers took Paul in an unmarked police vehicle on a mobile search of the three suspects.

The suspects were subsequently spotted by Paul walking along Gatacre Street. The three were immediately pointed out to Cpl Joseph, who with the assistance of other officers detained the men. They were taken to the Woodbrook Police Station where they were searched and the police revolver seized along with cash stolen from Paul. The SRP later identified himself as a police officer and reportedly begged for a chance. He was charged along with his two accomplices. Yesterday, the SRP and the two boys were placed on several  Identification Parades for similar offences. The SRP is one of about 1,000 who were taken into the Police Service by Police Commissioner Trevor Paul to assist regular police in several anti-crime initiatives.

These SRPs were supposed to be placed in “hot spot” crime areas but Newsday learned that a number of them had their duties changed and were now doing work at Traffic Branch, the Guard Unit and E-999. The so-called “hot spot” crime areas are patrolled by uniform and CID officers of the stations in the districts. In October last year, one SRP was held in Chaguanas for stealing a bottle of perfume while another who was based at Traffic Branch, was held for fraud. Several senior officers yesterday called for the backgrounds of potential SRPs and others to be thoroughly checked so the Police Service would be spared further embarrassment.