Trinidad racks up 73 murders for year; man gunned down in car

(Trinidad Express) Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith says the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is doing all that can be possibly done to deal with the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago.
Griffith also called on law-abiding citizens to stand up and fight for their freedom, by demanding that those who are held with illegal firearms must lose their own freedom.
When this is achieved, he said, then the police can have a level playing field to drastically reduce homicides.
This, as the country recorded its 73rd murder in Arima on Friday night.
Neeval Rampersad, of Cumuto, was shot and killed inside his vehicle at O’Meara Road.
The driver, Anthony Solzano, was wounded.
Rampersad, 39, was seated in Solzano’s Honda City car when gunman opened fire at around 11.20pm.
Rampersad died at the scene.
Solzano was taken to the Arima Health Facility and then transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.
In a media release on Saturday, Griffith stated that despite the unacceptable level of murders, serious and violent crime overall had dropped in comparison to the previous years.
Since assuming command of the TTPS, Griffith said there had been a modernization and transformation of the TTPS.
He also assuring the citizens that the men and women of the TTPS will be in control of the criminal elements.
The release stated, “He says the TTPS has good leaders and officers who are prepared to die for their country, so by trying to make the TTPS the fall guy, when these officers go out daily willing to put their lives on the line for their country, is very unfortunate.”
Griffith listed the achievements of the TTPS in the past year.
These included the establishment of the Commissioner’s Command Centre, establishment of E-999 Command Centre, enforced the use of Body Cameras worn by Officers and establishment of the Emergency Response Patrol.
Griffith said the TTPS had outfitted 85 ERP vehicles with Cameras, GPS and real-time communication, deployed in excess of 100 motorcycles for duty, introduced a mobile detention unit for use in riot/crowd control and launched the new TTPS Mobile App.
He said the TTPS had created and commissioned new strategic units including the Special Operations Response Team (SORT), Special Investigations Unit, Cold Case Missing Persons Unit, White Collar Crime Unit, Coastal and Riverine Patrol Units.
The TTPS reminded citizens that 2019 was recorded as the safest Carnival.
“To those who continue to criticize, they may be unaware that the TTPS has been playing our part and doing all that we can possibly do, but it stops at the arrest and charges being laid,” he said.