(Trinidad Guardian) It will take more than just the police to address effectively the crime in the country, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said yesterday, as he again begged all sectors of society to help the police stop the current crime wave.
“The social institutions embrace the family, it embraces the schools, educational institutions, the community and the State. Those are the main social institutions. When we look at the Police Service, everybody is asking the Police Service to do everything but there is a role for family, a role for the educational system, a role for the State and a role for the community and the media.
“If we all play a role, play a part, what we will find in the future is that Trinidad and Tobago can in fact be that paradise place that we seek but we have to create that paradise,” Williams said.
He was responding to questions from the media on the current rise in murders and serious crimes, during a promotion ceremony for 611 constables to the rank of corporals at the Police Training Academy, St James.
He told the media the conversation needed to shift from just the police and the topic expanded to include other institutions.
Asked what were some of the shortcomings the police faced in addressing crime, particularly murders, Williams said: “It is not about a manpower shortage, it’s about a societal challenge for which the society is only focusing on the Police Service and we have to embrace that every single one of us has a role,” Williams said.
“In this fight against crime it’s a partnership role, a collaborative role, with all the agencies focusing and Government using all its resources to make a difference within the country,” he added.
He said there had been a drastic reduction in serious crimes but murders, which stands at 199 to date, was the main challenge.
He said the main challenge surrounded firearm-related violence, adding that for 2015 some 691 guns were taken off the streets, the highest in the region, and for the year to date 320 guns had been removed. He said the guns were being smuggled in from the United States and Latin America through Venezuela.
Williams repeated calls for citizens to be more vigilant, adding that it is the duty of each citizen not to make themselves easy targets for criminals. He said when citizens limit the opportunity for criminals to attack then there would be less crime.
He said his officers were going above and beyond their duty and yesterday’s promotion was a motivational tool, as his officers needed a lot of motivation.
“Officers are being called out. It is a high demand for their services and it is way beyond the normal call. The demand for our service is growing and the officers are called beyond their normal call of duty, so I am hoping that this act is a major motivator and aids us in the fight against crime,” Williams said.
When asked if he believed there was a deliberate attack on members of the protective services, following the murders of regiment officer Jerry Leacock and Constable Jason John on Tuesday, Williams said no. He added that each time a police officer was killed it was a painful blow to the organisation but asked that his officers not lose focus and be professional.
He said his top-ranking officers have been mandated by him to work with their subordinates in their crime-fighting on the field and a roster has been assigned for each of his deputies to go out on patrols nightly.
