On the heels of the murder of nine-year-old Emmanuel Cyon Paul and the increase of crime in La Romaine, a police mobile unit will be erected in the community tomorrow.
This was disclosed yesterday by acting Senior Superintendent of the Southern Division, Adeline St Louis-Pesnell, at the weekly police briefing at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain.
St Louis-Pesnell said the instruction to set up the post was given recently by acting Police Commissioner Harold Phillip.
“It would be visible to residents and they will have a 24-hour police presence in the community,” she said.
Asked if the police had made any dent in the investigation, all she would say was that investigations were still ongoing.
“We will, however, leave no stone unturned as we seek to bring the perpetrator to justice,” St Louis-Pesnell said.
She, however, used the opportunity to announce a general reduction in crime in all of the 11 police stations in the division.
When asked about the murder rate and why there were no comparison figures given, St Louis-Pesnell admitted that they were still struggling with the murder rate.
“It continues to pose a challenge for the officers but I can assure law-abiding citizens that we will be implementing strategies in collaboration with other units in the Police Service to ensure that there is a reduction in crime,” she said.
It was also disclosed that 115 guns, including shotguns, pistols and rifles, have been recovered, in addition ot 6,590 assorted ammunition recovered and seized in Piparo on August 5 and 1,691 in Mon Repos on August 15.
Asked if the Southern Division was under-staffed and under-resourced, just like the Central Division (claims made by Central Members of Parliament and officers), St Louis-Pesnell replied:
“We have implemented community councils throughout the division, inclusive of all stakeholders, retired officers and officers on active duties, to try to get to the source of what is occurring in the communities, so we are maximising our resources in the scourge of crime that’s plaguing the society.
“We have intensified our approach in planning strategies to suit the resources and every officer is in sync with other officers and our goals.”