(Trinidad Guardian) Just like there are gangs who specialise in the trafficking of illegal firearms, narcotics and people, there are gangs that specialise in home invasions using assault and battery.
While statistics from the T&T Police Service (TTPS) do not confirm an upsurge in home invasions since the start of the year, Police Commissioner Mc Donald Jacob yesterday said they had noted an increase in such incidents along the East/West Corridor within recent weeks.
“There are gangs now that are actually using that as a gang profile. There are gangs organising themselves to go and break into people’s property and they must bring back certain things. They also do things to signal or symbolise that they have done the deed,” Jacobs said, noting some gangs use the acts as an initiation process.
“That is the problem we are having. Our gangs who are operating now enter the field of pure criminality…that is what taking place.”
However, he assured, “We have, in fact, dismantled several such groups for the year so far.”
Referring to the level of brutality and severity of some of the attacks, Jacob said, “That is something we have been seeing in the majority of the country.”
He said authorities had to consider why people feel a sense of deprivation to the point where they have to hurt citizens and take away their earnings and wealth.
“Persons are behaving as if they have something against society and it tells us something about what is being bred in the minds of the young people.”
Describing this type of behaviour as “criminal radicalisation,” he added, “There are some persons using religious books to justify the behaviour of some of people, but what is happening is that basic principles of criminological theory is being played out.”
Jacob said when elderly persons are attacked in their home, tied up and brutalised before being killed in some instances, it begs the question of why the criminals do not simply rob persons alone.
Admitting law enforcement could improve its crime-fighting efforts, Jacob advised homeowners suspicious about activities outside their homes to contact the police first.
Referring to a recent invasion in Tunapuna where bandits turned on a tap outside to get the home’s occupants to open up so they could gain entry – and ended up using a hammer to beat one of the women in the head – Jacob urged, “Call the police. Do not go outside. All of those are tricks to lure you out. Call 999 to report it to the police and then call your station district. You also need to alert your neighbours too because unity is strength.”
Pointing out that bandits also seize opportunities to dart into driveways as owners wait for electric gates to close, he said CCTV cameras are important tools that assist in keeping people safe and also help officers to apprehend perpetrators.
He said the TTPS had also recently received permission from the Ministry of National Security to split the Northern Division into two – each with its own commanding officer – as part of the effort to improve policing efforts and reduce crime overall.
He said additional equipment and manpower resources had been assigned to the two divisions within recent days to “help officers with what is happening there.” Jacob said the Northern Division’s jurisdiction spanned from Mt Lambert to Maracas, St Joseph and all the way down to Valencia including San Raphael and Piarco. He said approximately 440,000 people reside within that catchment area and depend on the TTPS for protection.
“We want the population to know that we have noticed the magnitude of the problem for Northern Division and we have since got the approval for the pilot project which is currently underway…zoning and managing what is happening. We are not sitting down and doing nothing.”
