00:00Yesterday, Tobago Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Rod Hill Kirk said while serious reported crimes increased from 480 last year to
00:09487 this year for the period January 1st and July 31st, most other categories of serious crime recorded a decline.
00:17He notes that break-ins accounted for the increase.
00:20We have seen serious crime increase from 480 to 487, which is a very slight increase. And what is responsible
00:30for that? Our prevalent crime in Tobago is break-ins. Break-ins has increased slightly and that is as a
00:41result that caused our crime to increase for the period.
00:47Kirk said the division responded by implementing active-directed patrols after dividing the island into operational zones. He said officers
00:56were assigned to those areas on a 24-hour basis to address increases in criminal activity.
01:02In Tobago, we have had the areas zoned and our patrols are operating during those zones on a 24-hour
01:10basis.
01:10Kirk said the Tobago Divisional Task Force was also strengthened, with units assigned to Eastern, Western and Northern Tobago.
01:18He said additional resources were provided to the Criminal Investigations Department to improve investigations and increase the detection rate.
01:26Between January 1st and July 31st, police conducted 743 operations, carried out 4,849 street checks, and arrested 209 persons
01:39for serious offenses.
01:41Police said 95 of those arrests were narcotic-related offenses, while the remaining arrests involved offenses including break-ins, robberies,
01:50home invasions, and outstanding warrants.
01:53Kirk said commercial break-ins accounted for about 30% of reported cases, while residential break-ins represented about 70%.
02:01He said the division's overall detection rate stood at 26% and efforts continued to improve this figure.
02:09Alexander Broussou, TV6 News.
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