By Prior Beharry
SUPT Roger Alexander is the new head of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT).
The substantive head Mark Hernandez is on a charge for misbehaviour in public office. He was charged pursuant to the Police Service Act, Chapter 15:01, for misbehaviour in public office by encouraging the unlawful assault by beating of David Ottley Jr, thereby occasioning him to sustain actual bodily harm contrary to common law. He in currently on suspension.
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith made the announcement at the press conference of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service on Wednesday.
Asked about whether he will still continue to co-host the TV6 programmed Beyond the Tape, Alexander said, “Everything we do we must account for. The public must know what we doing on a daily basis.”
Speaking about SORT, Griffith said, “This unit has been instrumental and has been probably one of the frontline units that has assisted this country in safety and security.
“It has been the frontline unit in securing the nation and protecting the nation.”
Griffith said from September 2018 to now, SORT was responsible for 749 operations including:
- 550 arrests;
- Executing 218 warrants;
- Recovering 75 firearms and hundreds of ammunition;
- 11 hostages recovered; and
- Releasing 45 people from human trafficking.
He said out of the 163 fatal shootings in the past two-and-a-half years, only nine involved officers of SORT in self defence.
