One day after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley called on the police to do more to improve the detection rate, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon read the riot act to divisional heads, calling on them to take charge of their “real estate.”
He made the call as he toured parts of the Central Division, which has been in the media spotlight of late due to a resurgence in gang violence in the Enterprise, Chaguanas, area.
Speaking with the media at Railway Road before he began his walkabout, Dillon said the aim of the walkabout was to empower the divisional commanders, beginning with the Central Division, to take charge of their “real estate.”
He said each divisional commander must have an idea of what is going on in their division and with a multiplying effect, if each commander took charge of their division, then the crime throughout T&T would decrease.
Asked why he began with the Central Division although the Northern Division is currently the leading division in relation to murders and gun seizures, Dillon said, “There is no pecking order right now, but based on conversations I had with the Central commander, I believe that here is the place to start.”
However, the head of the Central Division, Sr Supt Floris Hodge-Griffith, was not present for the tour. Dillon instead toured with Chief of Defence Staff Rodney Smart and other officers of the Central Division.
Dillon said the call for the divisional commanders to “step up” is not new and was not due to the recent call of Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) president Gregory Aboud for divisional heads to be held responsible for their regions. He added that he met with the commanders earlier this year along with the acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams, where the commanders were told to take hold of their divisions. He added that the conversation was just being repeated by Aboud and later by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Dillon said, “I started the conversation about having the divisional commanders held responsible and this was reinforced by the Prime Minister and DOMA. It is good management practice and I take that from my regiment background.
“I am working with the divisional commanders and not taking charge of them. It is a teamwork going forward. There will be measurements in place with regards to success, such as firearm seizures and detection rate for serious crimes, including murders.”
Dillon said, however, that there is always room for improvement in the Police Service and there is currently a gap between strategy and resources.
“As the State pumps resources in there will always be the demand for more productivity and I believe that we are not quite satisfied with the results and we need to improve our efficiency,” Dillon said, adding that the police and regiment are working assiduously to reduce the crime, especially murders.
He said he could not say what will happen to divisional heads who fail to meet the requirements, as that is a matter for the acting Police Commissioner.
He said the use of armoured vehicles, one of the tools discussed in the past to deal with crime, had also not been shelved but the feasibility of purchasing them now, given the current economic hiccups, was also being considered.
Dillon and the delegation visited parts of Enterprise and Bhagaloo Trace listening to the concerns of residents and in some cases offering advice to the lawmen.
One such citizen was Marvin Alexis, brother of murdered businessman Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis, who told Dillon that the issue of solving crime was not with the police, but rather the people, who he said were at fault for the escalating crime.
“The problem is not the police you know, is the people. Look, the police does come around and talk and greet the people and nobody come out, but if a man get lick down (killed) everybody wil come out,” Alexis said.
“Police can’t do anything by themselves. What happened is that the people are not educated to this because they believe that they are innocent and not involved in any criminal activity, but innocent people does get killed too and the people not doing anything.”