Stay informed with "Beyond the Tape"! This episode dives into critical issues impacting Trinidad and Tobago.
We explore police operations in the Southwestern Division, addressing illegal migration from Venezuela and efforts to maintain law and order. Discover how authorities are collaborating to intercept illegal vessels and safeguard the community.
Plus, get updates on road safety and a reminder to exercise caution, especially in school zones. Tune in for crucial insights and community updates.
#TrinidadAndTobago #CommunitySafety #IllegalMigration #BeyondTheTape
We explore police operations in the Southwestern Division, addressing illegal migration from Venezuela and efforts to maintain law and order. Discover how authorities are collaborating to intercept illegal vessels and safeguard the community.
Plus, get updates on road safety and a reminder to exercise caution, especially in school zones. Tune in for crucial insights and community updates.
#TrinidadAndTobago #CommunitySafety #IllegalMigration #BeyondTheTape
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NewsTranscript
00:00Suitable for young children.
00:30Beyond the Tape, we'll be back after these messages.
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02:51Okay, I see you.
02:53Okay, let me see you.
02:54Cherry Hill, uh, yeah.
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03:00Let me see you.
03:01Rock off, rock off.
03:02Let me see you.
03:03Kick right, now kick left.
03:04Now step forward, now step back.
03:06Lucozade, bring the energy.
03:08Welcome to Beyond the Tape.
03:22It's a bridge division because of the CPL cricket.
03:25I'm your host, Marc Bassand, joined today by ASP Forbes.
03:29We want to welcome our viewers across Trinidad and Tobago,
03:32our international viewers and our brothers and sisters in the eyes of Grenada.
03:37Certainly, of course, we want to remind drivers to be extremely careful on the nation's roadways
03:44and, of course, in the school zones area, extreme caution following, of course, an alleged incident
03:51outside a secondary school in San Juan yesterday evening in which a child was bounced down in an incident.
03:59We are hopeful that that child is well and, you know, it was nothing too serious.
04:07So, as I said before, from the Southwestern Division to the ASP, Forbes, how are you?
04:12Thank you. Once again, it's always a pleasure to be part of the program every time, ever so often,
04:18to project what is going on in the Southwestern Division.
04:22And again, it's always a pleasure to be here.
04:26Well, you talk about the Southwestern Division and we know, you know, that area is a very hot area right now.
04:32You know, it's the area, the peninsula is closest to South America and, of course, Venezuela.
04:40And over the last couple of weeks, we've had, you know, the police up with some exercises
04:45where they've actually detained some illegal migrants crossing from Venezuela into Trinidad.
04:52If you could just kind of give us an idea of, you know, those operations, you know,
04:57in terms of which areas on the Southwestern Peninsula that these operations were conducted
05:04and based on intelligence and information, I suppose.
05:08Well, Mark, well, I know a lot of persons may not know the structure, the geography of the Southwestern Division.
05:14And it will be clear, I want to make it clear to the viewing public that the Southwestern Peninsula is entirely surrounded by water.
05:24So it's not just one area we're getting these incursions.
05:26We're getting these incursions in all the districts.
05:29There are 10 districts, nine of which are surrounded by water, and we are getting incursions in all of them.
05:34We are getting vessels coming up with young children, women, men, contraband as well.
05:42So it's a constant thing, and we rely pretty much on the communities in these spaces who have recognized that there's an influx of persons
05:50that are coming into this society, and we want to arrest our issue and make it right.
05:55Because these persons are coming here, not only the good or those who want better for themselves.
06:00They are persons of questionable character that have embedded themselves among these persons
06:05and are coming in on board these vessels.
06:09Sometimes they actually, I know persons who are familiar in the United States with the coyotes.
06:14These persons that are exploiting some of these persons who are trying to make good,
06:19and instead of going the right route, they're choosing this illegal approach to enter into the country.
06:23So we have been very steadfast in what we're doing, very stern, using what our available intelligence,
06:28linking with all our partners, for instance, the Coast Guard, immigration, customs even,
06:34in the case where contraband is brought.
06:35And we are working with these agencies in an effort to try to thwart this whole influx.
06:43And we have seen a great uptick.
06:46I mean, there's a lot of geopolitical issues that are going on.
06:49Again, we are not concerned with that.
06:51We are law enforcers in a local sense of the matter.
06:53So what we have recognized is there has been an uptick over the last eight months.
07:00We have dealt with about 200 persons, 200, and just over 200 persons, men and women and young children.
07:06And within the last month, we have already surpassed all the figures for the previous months.
07:12And one, this first quarter, the first half of the month, we have already detained about 55 persons.
07:17Wow.
07:17Now, 55 persons are already trying to come in, coming on board vessels, coming in and trying to make...
07:23Some of these areas that you would tend to find, is it like in the Arian area, Cedrus area, Point Forte area...
07:31Yes, yes.
07:31Mon Diablo, all of these areas.
07:33All of these areas are susceptible.
07:34Like I said before, all division is predominantly surrounded by water.
07:39So all of these incursions, and then we have the added issue of the place being a bit rural, not as well developed as it was such a non-Tobago.
07:48So you find that these persons could enter into these spaces and then make their way inland through little rugged areas, through little wooded areas, mangroves as the case may be,
07:57and then enter into some of these communities and then they filter into the wider society.
08:02So we have that challenge.
08:04So it's not, if you look at Arian, Arian might be today, Arian might be two or three times in a day, Cedrus might be tomorrow, Ikakas might be tomorrow.
08:13Any place along that coastline is susceptible.
08:16And the persons, and strangely enough, it's not just, not Venezuelan boats, it's local boats that are bringing these persons in.
08:23So persons are partnering with them and bringing them in as well.
08:26So there is that concern for us.
08:28Well, I'm saying you all continue to put certain measures in place to kind of curb that kind of activity.
08:35Yes, yes.
08:35As you said, that rural area, you know, they have a lot of rivers, small inlets.
08:39Small inlets, fishing villages, that sort of thing.
08:42Boats can come in surreptitiously and under the cover of darkness, of course, and the foliage, they move inland.
08:49Correct, correct.
08:49And that's just the human traffic.
08:51There's also the contraband, the cheese, the honey, the ginger, all of that is coming in as well.
08:58And then you have the added issue, we have partnered with the local health officials with destroying or getting rid of or examining some of these contraband.
09:09You also have animals as well.
09:10Animals as well, too.
09:11That's the thing.
09:12And all of these things have a bearing on the society because you're bringing unregulated animals.
09:16These animals may have diseases, and then you're introducing them into the food chain, into the national food chain as one.
09:23And two, these animals may come in because they're reared in conditions that may not be consistent with what we may be standard that we want to establish in our society.
09:33And these animals are then brought into that, and they may be bringing or carrying animal-born diseases that could decimate our population.
09:41So the fight is pretty much multifaceted.
09:46It's multifront.
09:48So it's not just we're looking at the drugs and the human, but that also is a significant part of it.
09:55And then they bring in unregulated food products that is consumed within the space as well.
10:00All of that is a concern for us as well.
10:03Well, Sydney, you guys have your hands filled down in the Southwestern Division.
10:06And we wish you all the best and continue to stay safe as well.
10:10All right.
10:11We have an update on a matter involving, we spoke about it yesterday here on Beyond the Tape with Captain Valance Rambarat,
10:18involving Avanon Miller, whose body was found about two years ago on a beachfront in Chatham, I believe.
10:27And it took a family at least two years to identify, or got her remains, the DNA, positively identified as Ms. Miller's.
10:37And since then, of course, the family has been trying to retrieve her body almost a month now.
10:44And the good news is, according to Captain Valance, he posted earlier this morning,
10:49was that her father has received information that her body has been located.
10:53So it will now give the family a sense of closure.
10:58Of course.
10:59Since they have found this body, they can hand over her remains so that she can be sent off in the right way.
11:06Of course, in the right way. Correct.
11:07I mean, for any family in a situation like that, it prolongs the grieving period.
11:13And I know that all efforts were made on the part of the TTPS to make sure that some closure was brought to the family.
11:20I know that we would have engaged the Victim and Support Unit.
11:23We would have, elements from our community police department would have assisted the family,
11:28taken the family to the Forensic Science Center.
11:30Again, the process may have been a little bit longer than it should have been,
11:34but what we, at first opportunity, the informant came in and gave that little shoulder
11:40so that things would run smoothly going forward.
11:42Because the family was far removed from this space,
11:45so we were able to bring them up into the Forensic Science Center
11:48and keep with them until the process was completed.
11:51And this has been treated as a homicide, yes?
11:54No, no, it's not.
11:56Okay.
11:56It's not.
11:56It's not actually.
11:57All right.
11:58The body was found, and it believed that she would have had some issues.
12:02Right.
12:02And she may have met an untammy that's based on that circumstance, but no murder or homicide.
12:07But I mean, it's been so long ago.
12:09Correct.
12:09And I don't know what the post-mortem would have said.
12:12Maybe it was reported a long time ago that maybe we would have forgotten.
12:15That's why I asked the question.
12:16Of course.
12:16I appreciate it.
12:17All right.
12:18So we also want to extend our sympathies to the family of SRP.
12:24Jamal Charles was shot last week at the Kent House in the Ministry of Rural and Local Development.
12:35This is in L.C. Crow today, officers paying their final respects to SRP Charles as his body is led away from the mosque to his final resting place.
12:51Certainly a very sad situation or incident, of course.
12:55I know that somebody has been detained, and I think the charge of manslaughter has been laid against a particular police officer, I understand.
13:04And I guess in the fullness of time, as the matter, situation opens up, we will know more about what's happening.
13:12Of course.
13:13Of course.
13:14Of course.
13:14Again, my condolences going out to that officer, that fallen officer.
13:18I was met an untammy death in an unfortunate situation.
13:21And no one likes to see something like that happen.
13:24Again, it destroys a number of lives, the officer involved and the officer that would have lost his life and the family surrounding all, both sides of it.
13:33Again, it's very, very heartbreaking.
13:35Yes, indeed.
13:36All right.
13:37It's day 61 of the state of emergency.
13:39Let's quickly take a look at the figures.
13:43Number of operations, 4,270.
13:45Target priority offenders, 1,590.
13:48Searches conducted, 27,662.
13:51Traffic operations, 2,786.
13:55Total persons arrested, 1,986.
13:58Traffic offenses detected, 15,025.
14:02Firearms recovered, 57 pistols, 30 revolvers, 17 shotguns, 17 rifles, and 3 air rifles.
14:10Ammunition recovered, 756 rungs of 9mm, 93 rungs of 12 gauge, 50 rungs of .380, 4 rungs of 16 gauge, 374 rungs of 5.56,
14:2396 rungs of .38, 54 rungs of .40, 16 rungs of .357, 47 rungs of .45, 17 rungs of 0.22, and 50 rungs of 7.62.
14:37Dangerous drugs seized thus far, 230,673.52 grams of marijuana, 7,285.08 grams of cocaine, 1,032 STC pills, and 15 grams of molly.
14:54The SP Forbes.
14:55Yes, again, the police are in full use of the powers given to us under the state of emergency.
15:06The public must understand that with these powers, we are able to ferret out those persons that are in this society that are giving us trouble.
15:14It is designed in such a way that we will target those persons.
15:19One of the things I want to urge the public to do is to keep on parting with information as much as they can.
15:25Talk to the local law enforcement.
15:27Use the 555 system.
15:28Use the 800 tips.
15:30Call your local police officer.
15:31If you have an officer you trust, you talk to them.
15:34Because each one of those rungs represents a possible life.
15:37Yeah.
15:37Right?
15:38And you've seen thousands of rungs being seized or varying assortment.
15:42These persons are designed in the hands of criminals who will, from time to time, prey on the innocent, rob the granny, target innocent persons in the community.
15:52And we, our law enforcement, are committed, committed during this SOE to use the powers to the fullest extent, in whatever regard, go wherever we have to go, to deal with these recalcitrant elements within the society.
16:07All right.
16:08ESP Forbes, thanks for that.
16:09All right.
16:09Let's take a quick look now at our headlines.
16:12So those were some of the headlines over the last 24 hours.
16:33We're going to take a quick break and we'll get back with you with some coals.
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17:50Welcome back to Beyond the Tape.
18:03I'm your host Mark Bessant and joined today by ASP Joel Forbes of the Southwestern Division.
18:09And we want to quickly take you to a crime prevention video.
18:17Hi ASP.
18:18Right, so this is, we have officers engaged in what is called a SEPTED project.
18:24What they're doing is, again, it's a school.
18:28SEPTED is basically crime prevention through environmental design.
18:32Right.
18:33So basically what they're doing, they recognize that the fence, the perimeter of the premises, the general upkeep of the premises is not in keeping.
18:41It affords persons to lurk, hide, and that sort of thing.
18:45So officers would have, with the community police and several other parties of interest, would have come together and did something to beautify and clean and make the premises of the school a little bit more wholesome for the students when they're hitting.
18:59And this would have been at the school open.
19:01You could see a view of what was done.
19:03Again, all of this is, the initiative is designed to lighten the students so that the students when they go in that space will be more respectful.
19:11It's all a, it's a bit of a psychological upliftment.
19:14Because if you enter into a space and it is dirty, it's dingy, it's overgrown and that sort of thing, it's not going to look good.
19:20So the program, which was undertaken by Sergeant Thompson and his team from the community police in Point 14 police station, they would have highlighted this, identified this school and look at the shortcomings in the premises.
19:37And they would have gone in with their own effort and with the help of some good Samaritans in the community and done good by the society, done good by the school and the students there.
19:46Well, that's certainly a really good initiative, of course, and you talk about visibility and, you know, these fences, there were some incidents in the Belmont area a couple months ago where people would have, gunmen would have ran through the school through a fence and there was a protest about this situation.
20:02Correct, correct. I can remember that.
20:04So securing those fences and making it ensure that you can see everything around the perimeter so that anybody that's unwanted trying to get into the school.
20:11There are persons that prey on the school for that matter. There are persons that will go to the school and rob the students, use these little, these little pieces that are not tended to properly and gain access one way or hide and look and that sort of thing.
20:23So again, all of these things are designed to mitigate, to limit the opportunity for criminal activity in this space.
20:30And we will go on and as many things as we could do and using some of the facilities we have, like the station council, the town meetings, we are able to identify these places, use the regional corporation or any corporate citizen and want to join up with the police.
20:47We could organize benches, we could organize benches, put light in, if an open park or anything like that, the park is run down.
20:54The hope is to uplift it and it's all based on the broken window terrain, whereby if you allow derelict vehicles in a space, broken windows, abandoned buildings, unkept lots, criminals will exploit these spaces and use them for their benefit.
21:11And at the same time, it brings a psychological downtrodden on the community in particular.
21:17So when you fix these spaces, it kind of uplifts the space.
21:21All right.
21:21It prevents all the nice spaces.
21:22We just want to remind you of the numbers to call, 623-1711, extensions 1996 and 1997.
21:29And speaking of schools, when I read this story, I really thought it was something I couldn't believe.
21:35But, you know, I would think that, you know, students of the pre-sale secondary school would know better.
21:43Yeah.
21:44Where, in a nutshell, basically, an officer was in a classroom apparently asleep.
21:50I don't know if he was on a break of some sort.
21:53And students, they locked the classroom and threw the key into another classroom.
22:00Oh, man.
22:00Now, the president of the Parent Teachers Association is really upset about this situation.
22:07And, of course, they're calling for these students to be disciplined.
22:12Of course.
22:13Because it's wrong to do such a thing.
22:16And, you know, as I said, he was locked in there for at least 30 minutes.
22:20So, I think, you know, it's a really unfortunate situation that students would use or take the opportunity to pay a prank on an officer who's there to protect them and make sure everything is kosher in the school's settings.
22:38Correct.
22:38And I think people need to really, the students themselves need to know what they're there for.
22:44It's an institution of learning.
22:46It's not, and I think a lot of young people nowadays, they go to school for all the wrong things.
22:51They engage in a lot of deviant behavior within the space of the school.
22:55The school is simply there to learn.
22:57Get your education and move on.
22:59And I think with the programs we have lined up in terms of bringing police officers, bringing programs into the school, the youth clubs, all of these things are designed to help move young adolescents away from that deviant type of behavior.
23:13We are actively, I know that we have the commissioner with us spoken about it in terms of launching a program whereby we're putting officers into the school.
23:22That of itself is not the heavy hand of the law.
23:25Again, we are putting these officers into that space, want to try to identify the troubled students, bring social programs in that space.
23:33It's not, it's not going to be all lockup.
23:36Right?
23:36Yeah.
23:37Good.
23:38And remind me, producer, there's some clip we're supposed to be sharing with some schools.
23:43Yes, yes, this was an incident involving two students, a male and a female.
23:50Of course, the female student seems to be the aggressor here.
23:54Yes, yes.
23:54You know, striking the male student.
23:57Of course, I think he was just trying to leave and not engage the female.
24:04You know, it's not proper for a man to be, either way.
24:09But even so, she clearly, this student clearly is being egged on.
24:14And then this is an incident involving a civilian and a student in East Trinidad.
24:21Wow.
24:21Now, they're outside the school's premises, but clearly, this is unacceptable behavior.
24:28Correct.
24:29You're in a uniform.
24:30Correct.
24:30And that civilian, as well, was also involved.
24:33He's running away after the incident.
24:34Correct.
24:35But it's just out, school is just over, and they're leaving, probably near the bus street area in East Trinidad.
24:42Correct.
24:43Something to observe.
24:45I mean, we have all been there.
24:47We have all been to the secondary school.
24:48And there's a culture now that is prevailing among the young people.
24:53This type of behavior, this type of deviant behavior is just not the way we want to build a society going forward.
24:59It doesn't look good.
25:01And I recognize that a lot of them don't respect their school uniform as we used to in all days.
25:07Yeah, you're right.
25:07And they take a lot of chances with it.
25:09And a thing I noticed, as well, a number of students, that fellow doesn't have to be a civilian.
25:14He could be a school.
25:16One of the students that take off his clothes and come back, you know.
25:19Yeah, he could well be.
25:20That's why he looks kind of young.
25:21Yes, he could well be.
25:22But we've seen the police is going to take a stand with that type of behavior.
25:28Assault is assault.
25:29And sometimes these things are, some persons end up in serious injury because the incidents are becoming quite numerous.
25:37And I know the government have several policies.
25:39The education ministry has several policies regarding that type of behavior.
25:43And all of it goes against what the core function of what our school is.
25:48That's for education.
25:50When you disrupt a class or you fight a student or you be rude.
25:54And I think it goes back to the foundation of the school, the parenting, the family, the structure.
26:01Sometimes some of these people, these students are crying out for help.
26:04And they need mentorship.
26:06They need some sort of intervention to help them to go along the right way.
26:10So it is a task, but we are up for the task.
26:15And we will do what is needed to be done in order to help fix the youths of tomorrow.
26:19Right.
26:20That's it.
26:20There's a really strong message here from USP Forbes.
26:23And we just have about a minute left.
26:24I really want to thank you for coming onto the show, traveling all the way from Deep South.
26:30But we appreciate you, nevertheless.
26:33And I know you all will continue to do what you have to do in the Southwestern Division to cope that illegal migrant situation.
26:42Of course.
26:42Of course.
26:42All right.
26:42And on that note, we're going to leave you.
26:45Remember, we run tonight at 11.30.
26:48Another repeat tomorrow at 11 o'clock.
26:51The TV6 News is up next, followed by the CPL Eliminator.
26:56It's TKR versus Patriots.
26:57We'll see you back yet at 6 tomorrow.
26:59The TV6 News is up next, followed by the CPL.
27:29Sorry.
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