Senior Reporter
shane.superville@guardian.co.tt
Northern Division police have called on La Horquetta residents to be understanding as they do their best to tackle crime in their community.
The call was part of an explanation by Snr Supt Miguel Montrichard as he responded to concerns from a resident at a police town hall meeting at the La Horquetta Regional Complex, Phase Two, on Monday evening.
Longtime resident Janice Wilson asked why the police could not sustain widespread activities throughout the year as they did during Carnival. She complained about a noticeable drop in police visibility once the festival ended.
In his response, Montrichard said that while significant resources and manpower were deployed for the festivities, it could not be sustained over a longer period of time.
However, Wilson contended that while residents understood the challenges of such a large-scale exercise, a more visible presence was needed in the neighbourhood.
Montrichard then explained that resources were diverted on a priority basis to different regions.
“The police service always has scarce resources to allocate to a lot of different needs and everyone’s need is important.
“So La Horquetta might be asking for more police at the same time Maloney is asking for more police and San Rafael is asking for more police. We cannot provide more police all the time for everybody,” the senior officer said.
Using the example of stone throwing in one community versus shootings in another, Montrichard said resources were deployed on the basis of where officers were needed most.
Shortly after, another resident, Rhonda Jones questioned why the La Horquetta Police Station was only assigned a single marked police car to cover the entire community.
However, ASP Ishmael Pitt noted that while the station itself may only have one vehicle, police units in the Northern Division were nearby to assist in patrols.
“There is also a Task Force that is responsible for the area, we have our Emergency Response Patrols, we also have our Criminal Investigations Department, so they heavily support the station.
“But we do agree that with an additional vehicle, police officers can do more,” he said.
Pitt noted that in the absence of an additional police vehicle, officers were instructed to carry out regular foot patrols throughout the neighbourhood.
He said such exercises not only served as a deterrent to crime but also allowed officers to meet and interact with residents to build stronger community relations.