Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams has called an emergency meeting with senior police officers this morning, to discuss yesterday’s murder spree. Senior police sources said Williams had summoned the heads of various police divisions late yesterday, after five people, among them three teenagers, were shot dead in separate incidents in east Port-of-Spain. The incidents occurred within 12 hours of each other.
The sources said this recent murder spree is troubling the executive of the Police Service and they (the executive members) called today’s meeting to discuss the situation and possible immediate anti-crime measures which could be implemented to prevent further bloodshed. The meeting is scheduled for 9 am and will be held at Williams’ office at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain.
Police public information officer Sgt Wayne Mystar yesterday assured members of the public that the Police Service would be working assiduously to control the rate of murders in T&T. “We will never be satisfied till we see that rate go down drastically. We will not rest or give up on the fight and we want to assure members of the public that we will do all in our powers to keep the rate down,” Mystar said at the weekly police press briefing.
His comments came hours before four people were shot dead within hours of each other yesterday, and another man died later at hospital from gunshot wounds he sustained yesterday morning. Mystar said the service would continue to partner with the public to obtain vital information and evidence which would assist in solving homicides. He noted that communities in east Port-of-Spain continue to have a high police presence.
“As it stands, we are keeping that high visibility presence and are going to do whatever it takes to use the necessary and required force to deal with that situation,” Mystar said. He said the service was also reviewing its tactics and crime-fighting programmes geared towards reducing the increase in homicides. “You must appreciate the fact that crime is very dynamic, so you have situations that may pop up and may create the need for us to adjust our tactics and strategies as we see fit,” Mystar said.