00:00When we look at the crime situation, we want to assure you that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service stands ready to deal with any situation.
00:11This is not a situation where crime is out of control. We are totally in control of the crime situation.
00:19A bold and confident statement from the TTPS today, following a bloody 24 hours and 6 lives lost, bringing the murder toll to 422.
00:30However, the TTPS says with a 16% decrease in serious crimes on a whole, it remains optimistic.
00:37There are 14 different areas in that serious crime and of the 14 areas, only 3 areas there is an increase.
00:44So certainly, the police, we are working, we will continue to work and we will continue to make that impact in terms of ensuring safety and security.
00:56Even though we have taken a hit with the homicide, we know that as we continue, we are going to see a positive end.
01:03The TTPS further reports that only 3 of 10 policing divisions have seen increases in homicides, with Port of Spain topping the list.
01:12They have 70 at this time.
01:15We also saw an increase in terms of Tobago, where presently there are 21 murders and again, it has been the highest that we have seen in Tobago within the last 5 years.
01:28And last but not least, Eastern Division, where in 2023, they had 33 and 2022, 43.
01:38But this year, they are 40.
01:40So, we recognise all other divisions, which is the last 7 divisions, has shown the lowest possible numbers throughout the last 5 years.
01:54But the TTPS is vowing not to let up on criminals.
01:58We are certainly not at ease at all because we recognise that the crime situation demands decisive action by the police.
02:08And therefore, we are saying that we are taking a no-nonsense approach.
02:13As part of its crime-fighting strategy, the TTPS intends to ramp up joint patrols with the Defence Force.
02:20The army would be working with us. We have already that joint operational taskforce where we have persons working in the Gonzales area, in the Belmont area.
02:32And they are going to also be more and more in the Port of Spain area so that we can have more, you see more presence.
02:39And we believe that that will help us.
02:42And with the second murder recorded on a hospital compound, the TTPS is hoping to bring a sense of safety back to public spaces.
02:50Greater visibility that the police officers in their patrols would be not just visiting businesses, but they are going to be visiting, again, banks.
03:02They are going to be visiting hospitals. They are going to be doing a holistic, in terms of their patrols,
03:08it's going to be involving not just mobile patrols, but it's going to be quasi-patrols where they will come and they will park their vehicles and then they will do some walking.
03:18So it is about taking, even in terms of our patrolling, to a different level.
03:24Renassa Cutting, TV6 News.
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