Comfort policing goes

Sources added that the CCP is a unit within the larger department known as the Office of Law Enforcement Policy which was established in 2007.

The CCP came into being in July 2014 and according to the National Security Ministry website, it was aimed at being a crime reduction initiative of the Ministry consistent with the strategic vision of the TTPS, “to make every place in Trinidad and Tobago safe”. The programme initially started with 24-hour, two-officer mobile patrols in CCP branded vehicles in designated residential communities to let residents see a greater law enforcement presence.

The CCP started under the People’s Partnership by then national security minister Gary Griffith.

At present, over 300 security officers from four security companies including Amalgamated Security are involved in the comfort patrols and officers were given specific communities including Westmoorings, Diego Martin, Valsayn, La Horquetta and Tobago to carry out these patrols.

Officers worked closely with police and assisted in patrolling communities while persons were away at work; doing beach patrols; assisting the elderly and school children and also provided back up assistance when needed by police.

Sources said that when the People’s National Movement (PNM) came into power in 2015, a review of the CCP was ordered and a decision was made recently to scrap the programme.

On Monday, the Ministry of National Security sent letters to the four security companies involved in the CCP stating the programme will end on January 1. Ironically, on that same day, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, speaking at the opening of the new Besson Street Police Station, opined that statistics showing a reduction in certain crimes were rendered virtually meaningless in a society where the fear of crime and the fear of falling victim to criminals, are pervasive.

Sources said Government is actively considering utilising municipal police officers, from various borough corporations, to take on the same work carried out by CCP officers, in a bid to cut costs and save tens of millions of dollars.

Sources said it is not known if this plan would work since the Municipal Police force is severely under strength. It is further understood that a retired Deputy Police Commissioner may be given the plum job of overseeing these municipal officers tasked to carry out duties of the soon to be defunct CCP.

Contacted for comment, former minister Griffith said it was “very unfortunate” that the CCP was being scrapped. “This is the 21st national security policy that has been dismantled in the last year and a half.