00:00At today's press briefing, Smith had strong words for the persons responsible for the
00:05edited footage.
00:06You know, what this person has done in essence is trivialise the pain and grief that the
00:14relatives of this child are enduring at this time.
00:18I believe it was an attempt to make the TTPS look bad as an organisation, but I just want
00:24to remind this person, who I believe has nothing else to do, that the TTPS is a strong,
00:30resilient organisation and these petty things cannot hurt us.
00:35He even referenced a popular radio programme that puts citizens at the back of the class
00:40for their actions.
00:41You know, there's a radio programme which puts persons at the back of the class when
00:47they didn't do something too bright.
00:50I believe this person should be in the toilet, in the school, in the toilet.
00:55He said individuals should be ashamed of their role in this footage being circulated as it
01:00was already a difficult time for relatives of the slain three-year-old.
01:05Little Jareem was killed in a fire at his home along Christian Avenue in Windy Hill,
01:09Aruka on Thursday night.
01:11Police were told that a man known to the family had broken into the home with a gas container
01:16and set the house ablaze.
01:19Little Jareem's mother and his three older siblings were able to escape.
01:23He was not as fortunate.
01:26He died on the scene.
01:27Up to today, the suspect has eluded the police.
01:31The TTPS is claiming that only about 1% of this country's estimated 1.4 million citizens
01:37are responsible for criminal activities in this country.
01:41As such, it is urging the public to unite with the organisation in the fight against
01:46crime.
01:47There are very few people who are bent on ensuring that Trinidad and Tobago somehow
01:54does not accomplish its goals.
01:56And therefore, we want to encourage all persons to take back their communities.
02:02It is said that it's less than 1% of the population that is involved in heinous crimes.
02:11And therefore, we are saying to the 99% that if we work together, hand in hand, we can
02:17take back our communities.
02:19Benjamin also touched on the six persons killed during confrontations with law enforcement
02:24in separate incidents throughout Trinidad last week.
02:28Questions have been raised in the public domain on whether police officers have been utilising
02:32body-worn cameras and if the PCA was being provided the footage.
02:37Benjamin reiterated that the TTPS was limited by the number of body-worn cameras they had
02:42in their possession.
02:44He also noted that the TTPS had departmental orders that governed the use of body cameras
02:50which covered when they should be used and how recordings should be handled.
02:55The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service remains committed to ensure that there is a level
03:00of integrity and also transparency and accountability in the things that we do.
03:07With or without body cameras, we have ensured that whenever there's a police shooting, there's
03:12standard operating procedures that are also followed to ensure that there's proper investigation
03:19and thorough investigation into each and every one of those situations where there might
03:26be police shootings.
03:29And therefore, we do not shirk our responsibility in terms of dealing with things thoroughly.
03:35Benjamin also declined to comment on questions raised by the media that there were difficulties
03:40in securing more body cameras for the organisation, despite an announcement last year that 3,000
03:47would be procured.
03:48He also declined to comment on reports that the Police Complaints Authority was not receiving
03:52body camera footage following police-involved shootings.
03:57Benjamin when pressed simply said that these issues would be addressed in the near future.
04:03Alexander Broussard, TV6 News.
04:05For more information, visit www.fema.gov.au
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