THIRTY-THREE students have been arrested and charged for offences ranging from marijuana possession to sexual misconduct since the School Oriented Policing Initiative was launched in September 2025.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Administrative Office, Port of Spain, Acting Commissioner of Police (ACP) Specialised Support Brian Soodeen stated since its launch 33 students had been arrested and 63 students had been suspended.

He said, “So far during from this initiative, there has been a total of 33 arrests, student arrests. Offenses include possession of marijuana, possession of a weapon, sexual misconduct, assault, resisting arrest, suspension. Students suspended amounted to 63 students thus far from September to January 20 yesterday.”

Questioned as to whether the students who had been arrested were formally charged, Soodeen stated all 33 had been charged.

Soodeen was asked if he could give information on an incident of assault on an officer by a student.

He said, “Well, I’ve known that there was a particular situation that from the very beginning, we have certainly done all investigations into that matter, and we continue to do all investigations into the matter we are looking at. And we would ensure that, up to the last time that I checked on that matter, that all the necessary statements were to be taken and final decision to be very soon.”

Soodeen confirmed that a person was injured but did not specify if it was the student or the officer.

Soodeen said in September 2025, 50 schools, that were prone to school violence, disciplinary problems and criminal influence, were identified for the programme.

He said, last term the Initiative was expanded to include Tranquillity Secondary School in Woodbrook.

Updating on the Initiative, Soodeen said, “At present, the total officers assigned to those schools number 138 comprising both male and female officers, 64 male and 74 female. They are supported by field training officers, amounting to 53 officers. This diversity provides both direct school engagement and specialised training support.”

Soodeen, along with Deputy Commissioner of Police, Junior Benjamin stated that all reports and data coming from the Ministry of Education, whom they partnered with for the Initiative, showed school violence and indiscipline at the designated schools had declined since officers were placed on their campuses. However, they were unable to give exact numbers.

Asked if officers were equipped with body cameras, Benjamin said, “No, the officers in the school do not wear body cameras. The whole idea of the body cameras is something that we constantly are looking at, but again, at a later date, when we adjust the situation with the body cameras.”

Present at the press conference was National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA) Walter Stewart commended the TTPS, said the NPTA continues to endorse the initiative and was extremely pleased with the noted reduction in school violence.

Stewart said, “Through this initiative, we are heartened by the fact that there has been some reduction in the school and discipline, and, of course, school crime, and we look forward to further reduction in this particular endeavor.”

 “We are working as seriously with our parents in order to ensure that we know what our roles and responsibilities and duties are,” he added.

Asked what feedback or recommendations the NPTA had received, Stewart said it had been observed that many of the criminal infractions were moving outside of the compound.

He said, “Most recommendations that we have because we are observing that the school discipline incidents and infractions are now moving away from, especially those schools where the police presence would be moving away from the precincts of the school building and not being taken outside. So we are now requesting, we are now appealing to the TTPS to also have static and mobile patrols in and around schools, especially after schools and afternoons, because we have had some incidents up to this week where there were infractions outside of the school.”

Benjamin ensured the TTPS would continue to work with all stakeholders and continue to push for a holistic solution to school violence and indiscipline.