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  • 1 year ago
A 55 year-old Moruga businessman is tonight calling on the authorities to find a way to let civilians easily verify the legitimacy of law enforcement officers.

The call came hours after the man, his wife, daughters and an employee were tied up and robbed by a group of men dressed in police and army clothing.

Reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh visited the family on Tuesday for this story.
Transcript
00:0055-year-old Moruga businessman is denied calling on the authorities to find a way to let civilians
00:06easily verify the legitimacy of law enforcement officers. The call came hours after the man,
00:12his wife, daughters and an employee were tied up and robbed by a group of men dressed in police
00:18and army clothing. Reporter Sindhi Raghoba Teke Singh visited the family today for this story.
00:24When 55-year-old Terence Thomas was told at gunpoint on Monday night to lie down and don't
00:31move, he was certain that his death was coming. Instead, a group of four men, two dressed in
00:38police uniform and two dressed in camouflage army clothing, tied up his wife and daughters,
00:44ransacked his house, stole money, jewellery, phones and a vehicle,
00:50then left his St Mary's Village, Moruga home. But that's not where the terrifying ordeal began.
00:57When we met with Thomas on Tuesday, he said he and an employee were at his furniture store
01:03on Douglas Trace, Moruga around 9pm when the suspects entered his office.
01:20So I told him, I said, well, I want to see your thing, show me what it is that you want,
01:26what it is that you're looking for. So he said, you know the thing, I said, so what is the name
01:32I think of this and whatever it is. He said, I find you talking too much, you know. And he just
01:36pushed me on the thing. The next one said, bring him, handcuff him. And they handcuffed him behind
01:40my back. After bagging some money here, the men said they were taking Thomas to the police station,
01:47still handcuffed and believing the men to be actual police, he was put in a vehicle. But while
01:54on the road, was told they would instead be going to execute the search warrant on his house and
02:00asked for directions. Thomas says still convinced the men were law enforcement personnel based on
02:07their clothing and the way they spoke, calling each other by rank like corporal and sergeant,
02:13he complied. You can't say who is real and who isn't because they're coming like real police.
02:19They have everything and everything and the whole outfit, everything like police.
02:23Thomas said it was only when they got to his house, pointed a gun to his head and started
02:29tying up his family, did he realise what was really happening. They put me lie down and they
02:35said I'll go shoot you. They said I'll go shoot you and I didn't lie down one time and I said,
02:38well that is it. You know, and I just said my prayers and said, I said, Father Lord,
02:41I don't want to die like this with no gunshot. Thomas says the men left after about half an hour.
02:47He later realised that his employee was also brought to his home in the trunk of the suspect's
02:52vehicle and tied up alongside his family. He says on Tuesday morning, a friend spotted his vehicle
02:59in the Princess Town area and they were able to recover it with the assistance of the police.
03:05Thomas says given the increasing number of crimes being carried out by criminals dressed
03:10in police wear, the authorities need to find a way that allows civilians to quickly verify an
03:17officer before such a warrant or arrest can take place. They just don't know how they're coming
03:24and when they're coming in, police uniform and things. I would, well my thing for the public,
03:29I want to know that what it is that I feel that I could do against that. If I see the police come
03:33and say it's police and I have a warrant and to enter my place, I don't know what to say,
03:39what I think I should do. Sindhi Raghubar Tika Singh, TV6 News. The TV6 People Meter,
03:46brought to you by Accel Health TT, the official supplements of the CPS.
03:53Tonight for our People Meter, we're asking you, do you think that changing the uniform worn by
03:58police officers will help prevent fake police incidents? To vote, text YES or NO to the number
04:057664886 or 7664 TV6. We have the results for you at the end of this newscast.
04:13MP for Moruga, Tebalang, Michelle Benjamin is tonight calling for an urgent review of the
04:18TTPS's operations in rural areas following the robbery of Moruga businessman, Terence Thomas
04:25and his family by men dressed in police uniform last night. In a statement, MP Benjamin also
04:32called for an immediate increase in police presence in the area and comprehensive crime
04:36fighting strategies to protect vulnerable citizens. She says when criminals can impersonate
04:41law enforcement officers and commit heinous acts, it is a clear indication that we are losing
04:46control of our communities. MP Benjamin says crime has escalated to unprecedented levels
04:53and the public is quickly losing faith in the ability of the Trinidad and Tobago police to
04:57protect them. She is blaming the government for placing citizens' lives at risk, saying there is
05:03an absence of effective action and a failure to equip the police force with much needed resources.
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