COORDINATED and collaborative efforts among law enforcement agencies will be used to combat the recent upsurge in crime in Trinidad and Tobago.
This was stated on Tuesday in a release from the Office of the Prime Minister after a meeting of the National Security Council under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Monday. It follows 15 murders over the weekend.
Dr Rowley met with the heads of the State’s security apparatus at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, the release stated.
It stated, “The Prime Minister articulated the serious concerns with the incidents of violent crime and the continued use of illegal high powered assault weapons and discussed with the leadership assembled the need for a more proactive, intelligence driven, targeted and robust approach which is focused on those who are known and suspected to be involved in serious criminality.
“The Prime Minister also made it clear that the government supported the services and in particular the TTPS in its carrying out of its duties and responsibilities, provided that they are always done within the legal parameters.
“There was agreement amongst the services present that coming out of the meeting there would be the deployment in a coordinated and collaborative manner of sustained joint operations, particularly in areas where there is a known concentration of criminal activity.”
In attendance were the Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher, Deputy Commissioners of Police Junior Benjamin, Natasha George and Suzette Martin, along with the heads of the ten divisions of the TTPS.
Also present were Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshall Darryl Daniel, Acting Commissioner of PrisonsCarlos Corraspe and Director of the Strategic Services Agency, Brigadier General (Ret’d) Anthony Phillips-Spencer.
