A more focused and efficient approach by the T&T Police Service (TTPS) has forced criminals to migrate from their traditional geographic spaces in search of opportunities elsewhere, acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Christopher said yesterday. She also admitted that the spike in murders since the start of year has increased the demand for policing.
“The TTPS is continuously monitoring these changes and reviewing and updating its strategies to confine and apprehend these criminal elements,” she assured in response to questions from reporters.
TTPS statistics put the murder count for the year so far at 45, compared to 41 for the same period last year.
Christopher said: “The TTPS will continue to utilise the intelligence and information available to it to effectively deploy those strategies that will cause us to succeed in targeting the offenders and initiating operations that will be successful in seizing firearms and detaining offenders.
“Every effort is being made to increase and improve the intelligence that is available to the TTPS to inform its operations.”
She added: “Naturally some operations are more successful than others but the mandate to all police divisions and station districts is to maintain a heightened level of operations that will ensure a deterrent effect and a swift and effective police response where necessary.”
The acting CoP praised the crime fighting efforts of her officers.
“They are being challenged but are making progress in many instances,” she said, adding that the focus is on firearm retrieval and active visibility.
Christopher said the TTPS “continues to be relentless, implementing strategies to suppress and dismantle gangs and criminal networks who are involved in drug trafficking.”
She said warring gangs are trying to best each other in “wresting control of drug turfs” which often ends in shootings, woundings and murders but police officers are mobilised and all units are working to remove weapons from the hands of criminals.
“The seizure of illegal firearms remains a top priority and we intend to build upon past successes and continue sustained efforts to bear results,” she added.
Christopher said Operation Overload, a series of nationwide intelligence-led exercises on January 24 had resulted in seizures of illegal guns, ammunition and narcotics and the arrests of 61 suspects for various offences.
The exercises were co-ordinated by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ag.), Intelligence and Investigations Curt Simon and were tailored to dismantle gangs and adversely impact criminal activities in hot spots, she said.
The acting CoP said there will be ongoing exercises in the build up to Carnival and beyond. She urged citizens to co-operate with law enforcement and continue providing information that could result in more arrests and seizures of illegal items.
She reiterated that the increased, intentional presence of police officers is meant to “reduce crime and return the country to a sense of safety and security rather than an inconvenience to law-abiding citizens.”
The 61 suspects detained during Operation Overload were held mostly for serious crimes and gang-related offences. Officers also seized three guns, including an AR-15 rifle and two revolvers, two magazines, a quantity of ammunition and several amounts of marijuana, including more than 500 seedlings. A quantity of cocaine and a bullet proof vest were also found during the exercises.
In a television interview last week, Christopher lauded the success of Operation Grand Slam, a police exercise aimed at suppressing and dismantling gang-related and other criminal activities in specific locations. She cited data which showed that homicides are occurring in the North Central and Northern Divisions and revealed that certain individuals had been identified.
The first week of that operation included house searches, stop and search and roving exercises during which 26 suspects were detained, including 12 in connection with gang related activities.
Christopher appealed to citizens to report crimes and provide information on suspected illegal activities by calling 555, the CoP’s anti-crime line at 736-TTPS, CRIME STOPPERS at 800-TIPS’, or via the TTPS App.