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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago
The former head of the National Operations Centre says there is still much work to be done to curb the crime wave in Trinidad and Tobago.

Commander Garvin Heerah shared his views on Morning Edition.
Transcript
00:00With the murder count now over 400, regional strategic security consultant and former head
00:06of the National Operations Center, Commander Garvin Hira says, more work needs to be done
00:12to tackle rising crime in this country.
00:15According to Hira, the increased manpower in the TTPS is a step in the right direction.
00:20But it's not only about manpower, it's about working smart.
00:25He says having a crisis communication plan is an integral part of policing.
00:30At one time with the National Operations Center, there was a media management system that was
00:35set up and I'm seeing some of the facets, some of the architecture, some of the things
00:41that worked well with the National Operations Center should be looked at now and be applied
00:48into this national approach to policing that once worked.
00:52Commander Hira says the criminals are sending a message to the police service.
00:56There is now a sort of we are in charge.
01:00Basically, that's what the citizen is seeing.
01:02The citizen is seeing the criminal telling national security, telling the police service,
01:06telling the defense force, we are in charge.
01:08It's alleged that they have corrupt police officers, they have corrupt members of the
01:13armed forces who are involved in gangs, who are being used in gangs at this point.
01:17That's a new thing that is starting to surface and the teams are seeing it.
01:21I'm hoping that the police service is seeing it where they have the involvement now of
01:24national security personnel with the gangs that they have infiltrated.
01:29That's a strong word to say, but it's there.
01:31So I'm hoping that the intelligence tentacles are also seeing that and recognizing there's
01:36an infiltration of this whole gang thing.
01:38And on the issue of the latest form of criminality, which is extortion, Hira believes that there
01:43should be a special unit in charge of extortion in the TTPS.
01:47It needs a certain type of approach tactically in order to bring a close and send a message
01:53and investigation, because there's a certain type of investigation, maximizing technologies
01:57and all of that stuff that comes together as a special team.
02:02We need to consider the forming up of an anti-extortion team or anti-extortion unit with specially
02:08trained officers.
02:09And there's a skill set outside there who can treat with this thing.
02:13He says the increasing crime in Tobago is troubling and preventive measures are needed
02:18as the situation can damage Tobago's tourism sector.
02:21He is asking where are the appropriate security checks at the Scarborough Port?
02:26Needs to be a border control management focus for Tobago, probably establishing a Tobago
02:33Coastal Surveillance Radar Center itself for Tobago, maximizing what exists in Trinidad,
02:39but utilizing it as a big brother to a system in Tobago that can hold the borders down and
02:44there should be a capability of response.
02:46Sharla Kesto, TV6 News.
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