Williams calls for day of fasting and prayer

“In 2017 we want to turn around the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago and I believe that prayer is a key component to lead us, the police in taking control,” Williams said during an inter-faith service at the St Therese RC Church in Rio Claro.

He said while the season of Lent is approaching, he will not ask for a day within that period since they (police service) do not want to align themselves with any one religion.

Williams related that he has was in Laventille on Tuesday night interacting with a community that is healing, from the loss of one of its members, shot dead by police.

“We spent several hours in dialogue with the community to facilitate a way going forward,” Williams said, adding that crime was definitely on the decrease in Laventille since there was no murder reported from the area for February.

He noted that Laventille falls under the Port-of-Spain Division and reports indicate this division has the lowest number of murders in recent time.

He told the officers assigned to the Eastern Division that society places its trust in a Police Service that must operate in a professional manner. “Policing is a noble profession,” he said. Seventh Day Adventist pastor Clive Dottin said Williams has been acting for far too long and is deserving of the full, substantive position.

“You all know it is only I could say this and get away in the country,” he joked. He added that the real commissioner of police is the Master above. He urged police not to ‘sell-out’ fellow police officers.

“Do not make the job of honest police officers hard or impossible, and put your own colleagues in a dangerous place,” he advised.

He also told police officers not to underestimate the ability of the youths in the communities, as they can easily be persuaded in the right track. Spiritual Baptist Leader, Bishop Roger who also spoke at the inter-faith service made an appeal to the acting commissioner to bring back community policing.

He also called on the religious leaders and police to work hand in hand with the various village groups to prevent crime. Father Glyn Jemmot of the Rio Claro RC Church asked the Eastern Division officers for forgiveness saying while they are making an attempt to reach the rural districts of Rio Claro and observe how the people live and to find out why there is crime in certain areas, the church and other religious bodies have failed in doing this.

Pastor Stephen Mahabir of the Open Bible Church in Rio Claro also addressed the congregation . He told police officers that the people are faced with a ‘Goliath’ in terms of crime but the Biblical David, though a youth, was able to defeat the giant, because he had God on his side. Imam Zainool Baksh in his discourse called on the police and citizens to live good lives and adhere to the laws of the land. “If you cannot obey the law made by man then you will not obey God’s laws,” he advised.