- 10 months ago
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00This program contains graphic scenes. Viewer discussion is advised.
00:30Beyond the tape, we'll be back after these messages.
00:45With the live multivitamins by nature's way, you won't be defined by time.
00:52You'll own every minute of it.
00:57Discover how you can age vibrantly with the live.
01:02The Society of the St. Vincent de Paul presents a vintage and soca evening.
01:08A fundraiser hosted by Cecilia Salazar.
01:11Tickets cost $300.
01:13Save the date.
01:14Saturday, 1st February, 2025, 7.30pm at the St. Dominic's Pastoral Centre, St. Fimber's Church compound.
01:24Performances by Stacey Sobers, Crazy, Terry Lyons, Gypsy, Myron B, Len Bogsy-Sharp, Ola Tunji, Farmanappi, and much more.
01:34Tickets available online at islandetickets.com and the Dominican Book Centre.
01:41For more information, contact Trevor, 463-5059, Rudolph, 786-7229, or Michael, 765-1207.
01:53A vintage and soca evening, Saturday, 1st February, at 7.30pm.
02:01It starts here.
02:03With the Trinidad Express newspapers.
02:06To enhance your reading experience, our back page will now carry the second biggest story of the day.
02:13Leading to all of the content you want.
02:16Local and international news, sports, weather, lifestyle articles, puzzles, and more.
02:22So whether you like reading from the front or the back, our new design has you in mind.
02:29It starts here with the Trinidad Express newspapers.
02:34So you have big plans for the year, eh?
02:37A trip in July, birthday in November, and fet after fet this cannibal.
02:43But you know where to stop plans?
02:46A $22,500 fine.
02:50You know what else could really stop your plans?
02:54Five years imprisonment and suspension on your license for three years.
02:59Don't drink and drive.
03:02Welcome to Beyond the Tape.
03:22I'm your host, Mark Bassan.
03:24Welcome to our viewers across Trinidad and Tobago.
03:27And of course, across the globe.
03:30It's day 30 of the state of emergency.
03:33And we have with us today none other than DCP of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Mr. Junior Benjamin.
03:41Welcome, sir.
03:42Mark, it's a privilege being here.
03:44And to all the audience, it's good to have you here with us today.
03:48Well, I know you were on your hot seat yesterday at the press conference.
03:52And of course, we will have some follow-up questions.
03:55But one of the trending stories now follows an operation that took place early this morning in D.B. Long Circular area involving several officers of the Western Division.
04:10After receiving specific information, officers spent approximately six hours in that area this morning.
04:20And our understanding is that during that search there, they used a drone as part of their surveillance and search.
04:30And during that search in an area near Riverbank, we were informed by senior police officers that they found human remains buried.
04:42And they later, of course, called in an undertaker.
04:45And they removed the remains shortly thereafter.
04:49Of course, they continued searches in and around the area.
04:53And they believe it might be that of a missing person.
04:59And one of the officers who spoke with us told us that, you know, they don't want to be presumptuous, of course, because certain tests have to be performed before they can actually identify whether it's a male or female.
05:12And, of course, they will have to go through their data bank of missing persons, Mr. Benjamin.
05:17Yes, certainly.
05:19This is a situation where it's probably too early to call exactly, identify exactly the individual.
05:25But, again, what we recognize is that the officers are going over and beyond.
05:31We recognize that we are using our technology to help us.
05:34And this is what the police service is all about, is about intelligence-led, evidence-based, technology-driven solutions.
05:41And as you go out there, we have to use the latest technology to help us.
05:46And, again, we can see from looking at the whole situation that we are grateful for the officers that I would consider those persons skilled officers that is helping us in really ascertaining and getting the information that we need.
06:03We're hoping that, again, after the autopsy is done, we can then probably identify the individual and probably bring some solace to a family that might need to know about the remains of their family members.
06:17These images were taken by our camera person, Emmanuel Nunez.
06:20And I think one of the things is that the police would have received specific information to take them to a particular location where they might have located those remains.
06:31Yes, and this is where we constantly want to encourage the public to work with us because we cannot do this by ourselves.
06:39We certainly need the input and the information from members of the public.
06:45And it is because of the information that they received that they were able to at least get to that place and retrieve the remains of that individual.
06:54So, we want to encourage the public to work with the Tri-Anti-Negro Police Service.
06:59We are about really seeing to bring Tri-Anti-Negro to that place where there is law and order and where we can even bring some level of satisfaction to families who have lost their loved ones.
07:10Now, in a similar circumstance, also today we understand somebody that we profiled here on yesterday's show, a gentleman by the name of Vishnu Puran Lal, age 63.
07:25He was declared missing yesterday. We understand that somebody believed to be him was found in a shallow grave in the Hindustan Road area.
07:37And of course, if you don't know where that is, it's in South Trinidad, near the Devil's Woodyard volcano.
07:44Yes, and we are still getting all the facts as it relates to that.
07:49But at the end of the day, these are situations that we will only call after an autopsy is done and even after the body has been identified.
07:59So, there are certain stages that we must go through to ensure that, you know, the individual actually is that person.
08:07So, it is, you know, something very, you know, tragic at this time.
08:12And I want to even say on behalf of the, you know, Commission of Police and even myself as the DCP operations, we want to extend our condolences to the family.
08:22This is really a hard time to hear and to see these things and to know that you have lost a loved one.
08:28But we are also saying that we are here to really do proper investigation and see if we can bring the perpetrator of these heinous crimes, you know, to justice.
08:39Yes, and I think at the last count, we would have had 27 homicides.
08:44Corresponding period last year would have been something like 41 and the year before that, 40.
08:51So, I guess in terms of the comparison with the state of emergency, that homicide rate has plunged at least and almost halved from what it was maybe in the last two years.
09:04Yes, certainly.
09:05And when we look and we compare and I remember just looking at some of my figures and I found it was rather very encouraging when we looked at the homicide compared to how it was with the other years.
09:19Because you recognize that last year would have probably been a very high year in terms of murders.
09:24So, we're trying to look at it in terms of having an average, you know, for the period.
09:28And we had 25, 27 this year thus far.
09:32And last year, we had 42.
09:34And in 2023, we had 56 to date.
09:40Okay.
09:41And we had 2022, we had 48.
09:45So, 2023, we had 56.
09:47And 2024, 42.
09:49So, when we do the math, the average is about 48 around this time.
09:54And we had 27.
09:55So, again, we are not saying that we are satisfied.
09:58But, again, we are humbled in terms of the hard work still is keeping it under control.
10:04And we are hoping that, again, every murder is one murder too much.
10:08So, we are really going to continue to push and to ensure that we can really stop the murders from happening.
10:15And I just want you to keep that point.
10:17As we look at the figures for the updates of the State of Emergency for Day 30, I just wanted to just kind of look through the figures quickly.
10:29And, you know, I wanted to kind of get an idea based on the number of operations, arrests that you all would have made.
10:37What are some of the patterns you have seen emerging over the last couple of weeks?
10:43And how successful you all have been in, of course, finding more firearms as the time has elapsed and so on?
10:55Well, in terms of success, when we look at certain patterns, we recognize, and you see it there, but probably if we look at it from a more contextual standpoint,
11:06we recognize that in terms of violent crimes, while last year, and this is from as of Monday gone, which is yesterday,
11:15we had at least 140 violent crimes this year against 382 last year, which is, like they say, about a 63% decrease.
11:27And I think that, you know, we are going in the right direction.
11:30And in terms of our property crimes, we had 163 last, and this year, compared to 307.
11:37So, really, what we recognize is not just in terms of the murders, but in terms of violent crimes and property crimes, which were two of those tower crimes last year.
11:48We are recognizing that we are having a greater control of it thus far.
11:53It is still very too early for us to call and say probably term success, but we are grateful for these small wins that we are seeing, and we are looking forward to continue to strive.
12:04You talk about the firearms, and for me, let me just put it there, on an average, on a very good year, an average is 55.
12:12And we are saying at this point in time, we are at 55, and we still have some more days to go.
12:17So, we are doing pretty well, even in that regard.
12:20And the first month, well, literally the first month and a half of PSP.
12:24That's right, yes.
12:25Double check.
12:26Yes, so, I'm saying that it means that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, we are doing our part to making, you know, making this country a safer one.
12:33And what we just want is for, you know, the law-abiding citizens to be on board and help us, because we cannot do it by ourselves.
12:41We need all of us in this, because crime is everybody's business.
12:44Why do you suppose that usually you get that trend of January, for the last two to three years, being borderline 50 plus?
12:54Well, because, again, it's the first, it's the beginning of the year.
12:58And everything sort of happens where persons might tend to flex their muscles to see exactly, you know, what is happening.
13:07But I remembered in 2022, it was the break just after the COVID.
13:12So, again, persons are now coming back out, and a lot of the criminals now try to test the waters to see.
13:18But this year, we, you know, we recognize we did our homework, and we have applied, even with the SOE, giving us that additional, you know, power so that we can go into homes.
13:30I think it's helping us tremendously so that we are able to go into the tech and to look for firearms,
13:36especially from priority offenders and persons who we believe are threatening the safety and security of this land.
13:43All right, we're going to take a quick look at our headlines.
13:48All right, those were some of the headlines within the last 24 hours.
14:11And, of course, you know, earlier today, there were some viral videos on social media, considering a particular gentleman or suspect, rather, that ended at the San Fernando General Hospital.
14:26Let's just take a look.
14:29Yes.
14:31All right, I think we might be having some technical issues here.
14:35But what I can say, DCP Benjamin, is that one of the videos shows a vehicle that apparently drove into the Port of Spain General Hospital.
14:46Police was giving chase to that individual who ran out of the vehicle, and later, a couple minutes later, I understand, they would have held him.
14:56And our understanding is that, yeah, perhaps he has several outstanding traffic tickets.
15:02And this is what, you know, the SOE is doing, and not just the SOE, but the police on a whole, in terms of our strategies.
15:10We are going after, you know, the lawless, those who fail to obey the laws of the land.
15:17And it doesn't matter whether traffic tickets, it doesn't matter whether minor crime or serious crime.
15:22We are ensuring that law and order starts with every single citizen.
15:27And those who seek to break the law, we are going after them.
15:31And this is, I think, is a wonderful example of our officers seeking to go all the way.
15:38We are going to pursue persons who are bent on breaking the law, because this is the way that we bring back order in the land.
15:47And we are not going to stop.
15:48And this is not just going to be for those who are doing traffic.
15:52We are going all the way, even to gang leaders, and even to murderers, and anyone who dare to create any form of threat to public safety in Trinidad and Tobago.
16:04And we've seen people who attempted to do such yesterday in Port of Spain.
16:08You had two gentlemen, apparently, who would have grabbed some jewelry belonging to a person.
16:15And one of them, apparently, was shot and killed.
16:17And his accomplice was injured in that incident and is yet to be found, of course.
16:25Yes, and we recognize and we want to encourage persons, first of all, be very cautious in terms of, as you do your shopping in the city, wherever you go,
16:39you need to always be very cautious and take that preventative step by looking around and making sure that everything is safe.
16:48There are those that are going to come, and there's a brazenness still with some persons.
16:54And because of that, you recognize that some people might even find their demise in a way that I think is not even something that you would want to speak about in public.
17:07But we want to just encourage persons to be very mindful that there are those that are outside there, and their intent is not good.
17:15So please be safe out there.
17:17And if you have to use any force, make sure you do it.
17:23And that force must be reasonable because at the end of the day, that which you have can be taken away, and it can be used as a weapon as well.
17:33All right, we're going to take a short break, and we'll be back.
17:35Stay with us.
18:05In the sun, save energy, save money, and help the planet.
18:13Solar power to the people.
18:15Introducing Advances Smart Neuro, designed to help you achieve optimal emotional and psychological health.
18:21Our science-based formula is packed with more than 15 cutting-edge natural ingredients, a unique synergistic action that you'll find nowhere else.
18:30Advances Smart Neuro can help reduce stress and anxiety, enhance your mood and motivation.
18:36You'll experience increased clarity, a sense of calm and peace, even in the most demanding of days.
18:42See the difference now with Advances Smart Neuro, available at leading pharmacies and Pennywise nationwide.
18:49Do it all for less with Green Dot.
18:52With our reliable and expansive network, we deliver internet connectivity to a wide range of communities in Trinidad.
18:59Stream your favorite shows, enjoy online tuition, stay in touch with your work team, and connect with friends and family with internet service at a price you can afford.
19:08Wherever you are, you can do it all for less.
19:11Call 224GDOT or visit gd.tt today.
19:15Green Dot. Improving and simplifying lives.
19:29What?
19:30Oh my God!
19:34Oh my God!
19:35Oh my God!
20:06Welcome back to Beyond the Tape. I'm your host Mark Bassan, joined today by DCP Junior Benjamin of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
20:14We want to remind you of the numbers to call 623-1711, extensions 1996 and 1997.
20:23DCP Benjamin, we know that the body cams have been something that has attracted a lot of public attention over the last couple of months.
20:34And I know that you would have been asked by the media about various things yesterday.
20:38And I don't want to repeat some of those things. It's already in the public fore.
20:42But just as a general, to give that assurance to the public as to when we can expect some semblance of relief in terms of the additional body cameras coming on stream.
20:56So that transparency that people are asking for, that accountability in some way is more central as part of the police's mantra going forward.
21:08So Marlon, I just want to be clear in terms of what is the position of the police in relation to this.
21:16First of all, I want to say that the Trinidad and Tobago Police, we understand the importance of the body camera.
21:23And therefore, the body cameras are there for four main reasons.
21:28One, we are saying it is there to ensure that we improve the officer's safety.
21:34It is also there to increase the evidence quality as when a person is outside, you are able to see the evidence.
21:41And it's there to reduce civilian complaints.
21:45And it's also there to, again, reduce what we call agency liability.
21:51So there are so many benefits from the body cam.
21:54And therefore, we want to, we are at this point where we are saying that based on, we have a departmental order, which is DO-167 of 2023.
22:06And that mandates officers to wear the body cameras.
22:11And we will continue, and I want to say we will, we continue to let our officers know that the body cameras, once you are issued with it, it is mandatory that you wear it once you are issued with it.
22:26Failure to do that, even the departmental order states right to the bottom, in clear words, failure to do this can result in disciplinary action.
22:36So it's a serious matter that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has taken it and has made that in terms of opposition.
22:43In terms of the body cam, we have just over 900 at present.
22:49There's over 6,000 or so officers.
22:52Certainly, we do not have sufficient for everyone.
22:57But we are saying that even in that situation, where persons are issued, you are to wear.
23:04And we have made the necessary or put the necessary things in place to ensure that body cameras are to be procured.
23:15And we await, you understand, that matter.
23:18As soon as that matter comes down, we will deal with that matter.
23:22Well, I know that the commissioner last year would have sent out a memo indicating the importance of wearing those body cameras.
23:29And, of course, indicating that if you don't comply, certain disciplinary action will follow.
23:37Have you seen, since that time to now, more police officers who have to face the public in some of these units where they are faced with hostility and so on, complying with that order?
23:52And even if as well, has any officers been disciplined for not wearing these cameras in the last couple of months?
24:01I can say that I've seen more police officers wearing their body cameras outside.
24:06I've seen that for sure.
24:08And we have looked and put things in place to even see that there's an increase in terms of the usage of the body cameras.
24:16So we are putting those things in place.
24:18And we have seen a tremendous improvement in terms of our officers using the body cameras.
24:26So we continue to press on the gas in terms of letting them use the body cameras.
24:36And in terms of situations where they might be or they are placed in those situations, I have seen where in some cases persons have.
24:47There are times when persons don't.
24:48But, again, it is based on whether or not they were issued with the body cameras.
24:54If they issued it and they refused, we are saying that disciplinary action can be instituted.
24:59You have an idea of how many officers that may not have complied over the last few months that would have been disciplined in any way or no?
25:06No, I did not come with that statistic.
25:08And I have not even heard where officers have refused necessarily to wear the body camera.
25:15Once it's there, I have not heard of a situation where persons refused.
25:19I know that the Police Complaints Authority has said that they have not received any camera footage over the last however long.
25:29And is there an attempt by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to bridge that gap going forward to ensure that that does not happen?
25:38So that when there are questionable things that happened, a particular police incident,
25:43that they can have that flexibility to rely on that footage as well to assist them in their independent investigation.
25:51The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service remains a transparent body where everything that we do,
25:58we ensure that there is that level of transparency, integrity, and accountability in what we do.
26:03And even in seeking to liaise with our external stakeholders, we have absolutely no problem liaising with our external stakeholders.
26:13We continue to ensure that whatever we do is above board.
26:17So we ensure that there is thorough investigation into every police shooting.
26:22And I am certain that once the PCA does their investigation, which I'm certain is also a thorough investigation,
26:30there will be absolutely no problem in terms of, once there's collaboration with the Commission of Police,
26:36in terms of finding out that what we do is within the acceptable, if you want to put, you know, threshold of acceptability in these police shootings.
26:50All right. We're going to take a short break and we'll be back. Stay with us.
26:59Introducing Berberine Plus by Aja Nutrition.
27:09Berberine Plus is formulated with berberine, bitter melon, and banana leaf to provide diabetic support, lower cholesterol, and support weight loss.
27:18It also supports PCOS and other metabolic conditions, which can contribute to diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance.
27:26Available at Pennywise and leading pharmacies nationwide.
27:31Get extra value with the Express Classifieds.
27:34Did you know that when you book with the Express Classifieds, your ad also appears in the Express Classifieds online, allowing you to reach more potential customers?
27:43And now, with our new improved search engine, buyers can find your ad by category, by keyword, or even using the features of the item for sale.
27:53Once they've found your ad, they can now save it to their devices and return to it later, or share it with a friend with just the click of a button.
28:00With these online features, you can reach even more customers with the most read newspaper in TNT.
28:05So don't wait. Book your ad today and get extra value with the Express Classifieds.
28:10Consider it sold.
28:12Carnival on the Rooftop returns to take your season to new heights.
28:16Join your favorite hosts, Whitney and Chyney from Bread 96.7 FM, and Marlon Hopkinson from The Morning Edition, as they bring you the energy, the vibes, and the culture.
28:27Enjoy electrifying live performances from top soca and calypso artistes, mesmerizing steel band rhythms, and dazzling appearances by traditional masqueraders.
28:38It's everything Carnival, all in one place.
28:42It's Carnival on the Rooftop, every Friday till Carnival Friday, only on CCN TV6.
29:00Welcome back to Beyond the Tape. I'm your host, Mark Wilson, joined today by DCP Junior Benjamin of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
29:08And DCP Benjamin, we were talking earlier about the incident at the Port of Spain General Hospital.
29:15And I do believe we have that footage now involving a suspect who tried to evade police for quite a while.
29:22And this is a vehicle here, apparently he drove onto the compound of the Port of Spain General Hospital and abandoned the vehicle.
29:32And I think in a couple seconds, we will see another video where he was apparently apprehended by the officers who were giving pursuit for a bit.
29:46And I really want to congratulate the police officers, because it means that we are going all out to ensure that we pursue those persons who are perpetrators of any form or any offence, be it traffic offence or even criminal offences.
30:05And this is the spirit. I think this is where the police officer there held the person.
30:12This is the type of spirit that we want to see. This is the mentality of the police officer where we are going all out to ensure that we deal with the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago.
30:25You will be seeing more and more of this. You're going to see more and more operations on the streets.
30:30We are going to be doing house searches. We're going to be doing quite a number of anti-crime operations.
30:40And especially in this time with the SOE, we believe that this is the time that we must capitalize on it.
30:46And it is based not just going arbitrarily, but it is about intelligence-led, evidence-based solutions that we are going.
30:55So as we get the data and the information and the intelligence, we are acting on it immediately.
31:00I might add that a lot of these people are motorists. This is the person, I think, that was apprehended after trying to deviate the police.
31:12And I might add that a lot of people are driving around with several traffic offences that have even gone past.
31:21They violated their number of points on their driver's permit. And they don't realize that there is now a computerized system so that they can actually record much easier.
31:32Yes, and this is the beauty about technology. The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, we continue to use the technology that is given to us.
31:40So even as we stop vehicles, we are able to look and with the information in terms of the registration, we can get certain information so that we can know exactly how many tickets a person has and whether or not a person is disqualified from driving, etc.
31:59And where we recognize that persons are disqualified, we are going to deal with them with the full brunt of the law.
32:07Just remember the numbers, 6231711 extensions 1996 and 1997.
32:14On a different note, on a sad note, recall that yesterday we would have highlighted 19-year-old Justin Thomas disappeared while swimming with friends at the Palo Seco Beach.
32:31And unfortunately this morning, the team under Captain Violence Rambrath of the Hunter Search and Rescue Team, we're just going to take a look at some of the images.
32:41They located the body not far away from here where he would have gone swimming.
32:48And let's take a listen.
32:53Hunter Search and Rescue Team arrived at Palo Seco Beach at about 6 a.m. this morning.
33:00And at around 8, 10 a.m., we were able to locate the body of the gentleman who got into difficulty while swimming at the Palo Seco Beach.
33:12The body was found approximately three kilometers west of where he went swimming.
33:19And we do not have service in this area, no data, no cellular service.
33:25So what we've done is that we've put markers where we found the body and we have to trek all the way back to the sea if we can get service and contact the police as well as the family.
33:38So, you know, it's really sad that, you know, I remember the seas were very rough on Sunday.
33:44And he went out with friends swimming in that area there.
33:48And I imagine that his family was very distraught.
33:52And, you know, the Hunter Search and Rescue decided to go back to the area today.
33:59And they were able to find the young man, not far from, as I said, I mean, three kilometers away, but at least the family gets some type of closure.
34:09Yes. And let me just say condolences to the family.
34:13It is really upsetting when you see the lives of young people being lost like that.
34:19And even to the Hunters Association, you know, for the commitment to go out there and to, you know, find these individuals.
34:26I think they should be commended in relation to that.
34:30Notwithstanding, I think that it's important for us to understand that there are lessons that we must learn from these situations, especially where we know that there is no lifeguard.
34:41When you know that there might be rough seas and the currents, et cetera, we want to encourage persons to be very careful in terms of, one, sending your children out into those places.
34:53I mean, anything could happen. And this is really an unfortunate situation.
34:57But we want you to understand that we need to be much more careful in terms of making more wise decisions.
35:05So that, I mean, something like this could have been avoided because if the waters are high and if the seas tend to have a strong current, you really don't want to do that.
35:15Because even though you think you might be a swimmer, when these things happen and you enter into difficulty, I mean, the end result could be tragedy.
35:23And we're really trying to avoid that in the future. So I hope the lessons are learned in this.
35:29I think we have a call on the line. Caller, good evening.
35:32Hi, good evening, Mr. Mark. And good evening, Mr. Benjamin. How are you?
35:39I'm good, sir.
35:40You hearing me?
35:41Yes, sir.
35:42Nice, nice. And Mr. Benjamin, I see you rubbed off on Mark this evening.
35:46I see upgrade to his attire there. Nice, nice, well-dressed shirt and so on.
35:52So you're representing TPPF as always.
35:55And I want to commend Mr. Benjamin as well and your team and your executive team.
36:02We have seen that officers have complied with the restriction of this tactical clothes.
36:09And I'm seeing this grey and blue more visible out there.
36:12And I want to commend the TPPF because it has transformed police officers.
36:17Look, and I believe they approach out there.
36:20I want to touch on one thing, though, Mr. Benjamin.
36:23Parking. I live in a community where it seems as if parking is acceptable on the roadway.
36:32And every time they can hurry, have a vehicle now.
36:36Eventually we would reach a place where the traffic would be gridlocked because our entire lane is blocked off.
36:43Most of the time with persons lining the street parking.
36:47And you have to look 500 meters down the road, a thousand meters down the road to see if it's clear.
36:53And then maneuver around these parked vehicles.
36:55I say it again. I say it over and over.
36:58If you do not have, if you only have a one room house, you would not go by court and shop for a living room set, a dining room set, and do the washer and dryer.
37:10Then why are we allowing persons to be buying vehicles and resting them on the side of the road and in essence just blocking off an entire lane?
37:22I think that we need to stop that.
37:25Persons would be accommodating in persons who have space in the yard.
37:29And let's be a more community oriented rather than just line up the streets with vehicles.
37:35I'm hoping that you will get an opportunity to use the road that you are not paying for as a taxpayer.
37:41Again, Mr. Benjamin, you represent the TTP as well.
37:45And I understand that there were officers who even elevated to the rank of sergeant and inspector.
37:52Congratulations to all of them.
37:55Thank you so very much.
37:56And I think the caller hit the nail on the head.
38:00We do have quite a number of vehicles out there.
38:03And one of the things that we are looking at, we are talking even as we seek to have dialogue with the city corporations and also the different municipalities.
38:15It's the whole idea of bringing back the record so that we can deal with some of these situations.
38:20I think that once a record is in operation, persons tend to be very, very cautious in terms of where they park.
38:26We are also going to take zero tolerance in terms of looking at where there is no parking.
38:32That persons who violate those no parking signs, that we give them the requisite tickets and so forth.
38:39But we are certainly going to do that because it is posing a serious challenge.
38:44And it's wrong where innocent people trying to just get home or go to school or work, as the case may be, are held back because of inconsiderate parking.
38:54Yeah, and even in some residential areas, I think people need to exercise discretion and consideration for your neighbors.
39:01Because we get complaints about people parking, blocking people's driveways or making it extremely difficult for them to maneuver out of their driveway and into their homes.
39:11Rather, if you parked in a very indiscriminate manner.
39:15So please bear that in mind.
39:16All right.
39:17We're going to take a short break and we'll be back.
39:19Stay with us.
39:32Are you struggling with chronic back pain?
39:34Dealing with a slipped disc or sciatica?
39:37Don't let outdated ideas about surgery hold you back.
39:41Thanks to cutting edge, minimally invasive techniques, causing less pain, lower risk and a faster return to your life.
39:49The community hospital is happy to announce that we are the first hospital in the region to perform minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery.
39:59Call us now to discover your options at 622-1191.
40:04Community Hospital of Seventh Day Adventist.
40:09Where good private health care is affordable.
40:14The choice is clear.
40:15The TV6 News is the number one news broadcast and the most watched program in TNT, including all cable programming.
40:23With over 50% more eyeballs than the closest competitor, advertisers trust the TV6 News to deliver their message to their target audience.
40:31Competitive rates ensure the biggest bang for buck and the authority and reputation of the newscast help to build and maintain trust in your brand.
40:39So regardless of the size of your business, the choice is clear.
40:45TV6 News delivers results.
40:48Skill online.
40:50Yeah, what is weird?
40:51I'm Larry.
40:52I get in with him.
40:53No.
41:05Let's take a selfie.
41:08It looking good.
41:09Boy, I put in it online.
41:11Hey, I thought you said you went to the beach with your parents.
41:15Who's you?
41:16It's me, Larry, from online.
41:41What's going on, everybody?
41:51Welcome back to Beyond the Tape.
41:52I'm your host, Marc Besson.
41:53I'm joined today by DCP Junior Benjamin of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
41:58We want to take you to a video.
42:01I know we're in the carnival season, of course, and everybody likes to wear their jewelry, but you should take a look at this.
42:12So it's a doubles vendor, apparently.
42:15We're seeing people purchasing from the person there.
42:22Somebody comes and they buy a drink.
42:24There's another guy at the front there, also patronizing the vendor there.
42:31Yes.
42:33And then he leaves.
42:35This gentleman is still standing there, drinking his drink.
42:39The ladies are just having a conversation with somebody off-camera.
42:51And there's somebody who emerges here.
42:54He's in a wheelchair.
42:56I gather he's probably coming to purchase maybe a drink.
43:01He's probably coming to make a purchase as well.
43:08At least they're having a conversation at this time.
43:10Yes.
43:20You should be kind of aware of your surroundings, yes, DCP Benjamin?
43:24That's right.
43:25Sometimes when you look and you're not really looking behind, persons are looking at you.
43:31And I think that is something that persons must know.
43:33Even when you're doing your work, always have that 360 view around to see what is happening.
43:43This gentleman is there at the side and he's just looking and waiting.
43:48Yes, he's looking around.
43:49He's looking around. He's waiting for that…
43:51An opportunity.
43:52That's right.
43:56Now we have another guy who comes into the picture.
44:00He's just consumed the doubles.
44:07All right.
44:09See?
44:11So he stood there for quite a while, DCP Benjamin.
44:13Yes.
44:18This is in the Arang West area.
44:20So if you have any information about that suspect who just grabbed the lady's chin, contact the nearest police station.
44:28And I'm sure we can get a positive identity of them pretty soon.
44:32Yes, certainly.
44:33And we are looking into this matter.
44:37And we want persons to understand that the attitude and behavior of persons today, they don't really care.
44:48They're all about themselves.
44:50And these are perpetrators.
44:53As you can see, the intent is just to take what he has that does not belong to him and to run as a coward.
45:01And we need to address these situations.
45:04These are persons that we must put behind bars.
45:07We need to ensure that we seek to get the information.
45:13We are going to use every single means that we have, including the CCTV footage.
45:20And we are going to pursue that individual.
45:23Because, I mean, it is very, very distressing to the individual to know that all you're doing is trying to make ends meet.
45:30And someone is trying to distress you at that stage.
45:35So we just want to, I guess, you know, your advice is just to be careful where and when you wear your jewelry.
45:41And, I mean, it's really sad that we have to tell people that we're in a season where now, you know, you have to be mindful of where you're going to be wearing this because you never know who's looking.
45:50Yes, and it's also important, especially if you're selling, to have another person with you.
45:55When you're by yourself, you know, you become open to the element.
45:59And even as you go out with persons, it's important that you travel with more than one person so that, you know, just being by yourself, anything could happen.
46:09But if you're with company, again, it opens the door for more and more persons to probably think twice of even trying to rob or even to harm you in any way.
46:21So move in companies, and I think that would really be a way to at least prevent something like this in the future.
46:28Yes, exactly. I think we have a call on the line. Caller, good evening.
46:31Good evening, gentlemen.
46:33Good evening, sir.
46:35The city, Benjamin, the last caller came to suggest that if somebody does not own space to construct a garage, they shouldn't buy a vehicle.
46:47But you came from Tobago, sir, and Tobago is a place that is challenged for land space and so on, and not everybody is fortunate to be able to house their vehicle in a garage.
46:58So I think that what he was suggesting there wasn't just indiscriminate parking like in our city or in the main towns and so on, but in residential neighborhoods.
47:07And unfortunately, not everybody who wants to buy a vehicle lives in an area where they could park in a garage.
47:17You have places like Lavant Hill, places in Carnage, Parliament, St. Joseph and so on, where the roads are developed.
47:29Yes, it's for people to travel and so on, but I think it's a double-edged sword to enforce traffic restrictions in communities like that,
47:42except, of course, in the area where Mr. Basanto pointed out, the deliberate blocking of driveways and so on.
47:49But to insinuate that you should only purchase a vehicle if you have a garage space to park it in, I think that is kind of humorous.
47:58And my second point is this.
48:01I'm sure you keep being asked the question in the weekly pressers about the body cameras of police officers.
48:09On yesterday's episode, you were asked about what a D.O. means, if police are bound to follow it.
48:22And it was strange to me because I'm saying, you know, being a senior officer, departmental orders are really guidelines.
48:32Some of the times they are guidelines to carry out policies that come from the legislative arm of the state, in terms of subsidiary legislation.
48:42And therefore, you can only carry out a D.O. if you have the equipment and so on.
48:48So I don't understand why people keep insisting on asking that question when you as a senior officer have clearly stated what is the amount of cameras you have and who they issue to.
48:58It isn't an operational unit.
49:00And most of the time in these kind of legislations, like the one where the gentleman was killed, it's not necessary it would be an operational unit.
49:07It will be information passed on to the police and who is observable will be dispatched.
49:12So it's absurd to believe that at that point in time you will have body cameras gifted to people in that instance.
49:20I mean, if an operational unit is engaged, well, then I would expect cameras to be had.
49:26So I'm just saying that and you can correct me if I'm wrong in that assessment in how I assess what you were trying to say yesterday at the press-up.
49:35Thank you for your time and continue doing a good job to keep your hands to be able to.
49:42All right. Thanks a lot for that call, Kola.
49:45And obviously, DCP Benjamin will respond after this break.
50:57Thank you, members of the media.
50:59This concludes our weekly press briefing.
51:04As the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service continues to protect and serve with pride,
51:09we are calling on all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to get on board with us to ensure that everyone is able to live in a crime-free society.
51:21Are you on board?
51:26This is my country and I am on board.
51:29I am on board with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
51:33Let us save the youth of the nation.
51:35Get on board.
51:36Crime affects all of us.
51:38Children, communities, and the country as a whole.
51:42Supporting crime victims and working with the police service, I am on board.
51:47This is my country and I'm on board.
51:52My name is Nicolai Blackmon and I'm on board with the TTPS.
51:55Vision on Mission is proud to partner with the TTPS because crime prevention is everybody's business.
52:03We are the National Congress of Incorporated Spiritual Baptist Organizations of Trinidad and Tobago
52:09and we are on board with the TTPS in its fight against crime.
52:13I'm a farmer. This is my country and I'm on board.
52:17I'm Charles Jason Gordon, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Port-au-Prince.
52:22I am on board in the TTPS fight against crime.
52:26We are all on board.
52:43Welcome back to Beyond the Tape.
52:44I'm your host Marc Bessan, joined today by DCP Junior Benjamin of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
52:50And before the break, we got a caller talking about parking and I think body cameras were two of the main issues you raised.
52:57Yes, and I want to thank the caller for at least sharing his view.
53:02I want to just say one of the things for me is that we have to try to work with our crime prevention strategies.
53:10And we cannot tell persons whether they want to buy a car or not.
53:13If you have the money to buy a car, you need to determine that
53:17and certainly the police is not going to get part and parcel of that at all.
53:20That is not part of what we are here for.
53:22What we want to know is that we put things in place for the protection of that vehicle
53:28because once you leave that vehicle open to the elements,
53:31it now becomes open for another, lastly motor vehicles,
53:37which is one of the areas last year that we saw an increase in.
53:41And already this year, we already start to see, I wouldn't say an increase,
53:46but certainly it has its prevalence in terms of a total crime thus far.
53:52But we are putting the lid on that because we are looking to see where it's happening.
53:57But we want to encourage persons to please ensure that you protect your vehicle.
54:02Make sure you either have a lock for that vehicle so that even if a person tries to break into that vehicle,
54:09they cannot steal the vehicle.
54:11So we want to ask persons again, if you have a place where you can put your vehicle, great.
54:15If you don't, at least make sure that you have steering locks and different things that can stop the vehicle,
54:21at least make it difficult for a person to go with the vehicle.
54:25In terms of the body-worn cameras, we want to just reiterate the point that yes,
54:31the departmental order is there as a guide.
54:34And even as we seek to institute the departmental order,
54:40we want to ensure that it must be just, fair, and reasonable.
54:44And therefore, it's important when we look at the numbers, certainly it's not enough.
54:49So what we are saying for those, once you are issued with one, we are saying that it's mandatory that you have it.
54:55If you're not issued because your department does not have and there is not sufficient,
54:59then we are saying that we must deal with every situation on a case-by-case basis.
55:04And therefore, we would see, based on the situation, as we do our investigations,
55:10if a person is found culpable, then we would deal with disciplinary action.
55:14If not, we would then seek to see how we can have more cameras,
55:19and as that time comes, we would then revisit the situation again.
55:23I think that reassurance that you're trying to give the public in terms of accessibility, accountability, transparency,
55:32and I think the ease or the comfort of more body cams would obviously allay some of the concerns or fears of the public, in a sense.
55:42So we really want to thank you for spending this last hour with us,
55:46and for sharing some of your views, your opinions,
55:50and of course, hopefully that people accept some of the things that you just said,
55:58and that you have given them that renewed confidence in the way forward for the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
56:04Alright, repeat tonight at 11.30, rerun tomorrow at 11 o'clock.
56:10The TV6 News is up next. Stay with us.
56:28The top stories are brought to you by...
Recommended
58:41
|
Up next
58:20
57:59
57:50
53:07
58:35
58:23
56:44
47:07
1:04:11
56:35
1:03:56
57:04
56:47
57:19
57:08
57:29
57:26
57:53
57:26
57:06
58:32
58:16
58:41
57:14
Be the first to comment