Acting Police Commissioner (CoP) Stephen Williams yesterday said while he could not confirm or deny a media report that 12-year-old murdered schoolboy Yakini Charles was a shooter for a Port-of-Spain gang.
But he said if this was indeed true, “We into some real real trouble.”
Speaking at the opening of a two-day leadership development and workshop planning session for the heads of the police youth clubs at the Hyatt Regency, Williams urged those present to focus on positively transforming the lives of the nation’s youths.
Charles, 12, of Pitman Lane in Gonzales, was killed on September 15, while on the way home to reportedly change his uniform.
Urging his officers to reaffirm their commitment to improve T&T, the top cop said the TTPS had to employ multi-faceted approaches to solving crime.
Claiming that they were not only about hard enforcement of the law, Williams admitted that this would not be enough to fix society’s problems.
Instead, he said: “The discussion and conversation has to change because crime as a societal issue is broader than the police service. I can’t stay crying and lifting my hands up in the air. I have to find ways and means as the head of the police service, to continually focus on improving and impacting the issues of crime, control and crime management.”
Also speaking to reporters yesterday was Snr Supt Johnny Abraham, who admitted that serious crimes including murders in his division, were once again proving to be of great concern to him and his fellow officers.
Abraham, who is the head of the Central Division, linked the murders of Kim Kelly Rattansingh and Shastri La Vende, which occurred at Enterprise Street, Chaguanas on Saturday night - to that of Christopher Williams, 28, of Joseph Lane in Enterprise, who was killed in the wee hours of Saturday, whilst liming at “De Kourt” Bar at Railway Road, Chaguanas.
Abraham said the authorities needed to pay special attention to seaports and unchecked access routes along the Central coast, which, during high tide, would enable a 30-foot pirogue to easily smuggle in illegal weapons and other contraband items.
He appealed to the Coast Guard to utilize the recently acquired maritime vessels to assist with border control in the Central Division.
The COP revealed that at his behest, the TTPS was being assisted by Canadian judge Nancy Flatters, in relation to the design of the training component for youth club leaders and other officers - which will be rolled out in October.
Claiming that the youth clubs can have a positive impact on youths and transform the local criminal landscape years from now, Williams said: “It is not just about the guns, it is beyond just the guns. It is about the people utilizing the guns and that’s where we as a society, have had a challenge because violence now pervades.”
Flatters was in agreement as she said: “You have to start with the youth. Results will be seen later on, as small steps lead to bigger steps.”
Endorsing the call for action by youth club leaders to engage the youths positively, acting Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP) with responsibility for community relations, Annmarie Alleyne-Daly said, “We recognize that most of persons involved in crime are youths within a specific age, and so the emphasis on trying to correct situations have to really focus on our youth.”
She said T&T had just under 400,000 youths between the ages of five and 30 years of age and that “Most of our offenders are youths.”
However, Alleyne-Daly is hopeful that once officers make contact with the youths, a positive impact would be made.