With 28 murders in just the first 14 days of the year, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon yesterday said the various national security agencies are “not comfortable.” However, he assured that perpetrators will be brought to justice because there is an all out war against crime and criminal elements.
Dillon was fielded questions from the media about the killing spree that has been taking place in the first month of the new year following a press briefing at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) yesterday.
“Any murder is always a concern for us. The level where we are at right now none...none of the agencies of national security are comfortable right now,” he admitted
The minister stated law enforcement has been beefed up and over the weekend there was not only an increased presence of police and soldiers on the roads butpolice officers were “in different focus operations” in an effort to catch criminals.
“We will not give up, we will continue,” he said.
Dillion said up to yesterday he had discussions with the deputy police commissioner in charge of crime about development different strategies. He said preliminary investigations showed that several of the murders were drug and gang related.
“We now have to focus on the available laws to treat with—more importantly to focus on—especially those drug blocks throughout the length and breath of Trinidad and Tobago that seems to be contributing to the murder rate as we go along,” he said.
“The Police Service and other agencies are working assiduously.”
The minister was once again critical of the Opposition for failing to support the Anti-Gang Bill. He said during debate of the legislation late last year they have taken the Government “down to the wire, clause by clause” without any objection being raised
“When we got to the wire it was a resounding no except for the MP for St Augustine who abstained,” he said.
Dillon said police had given him an update on investigations into the murders of 15-year-old Morvant Laventille Secondary student Joshua Andrews and “PH” driver Devon Fernandez. He said there had been some arrests and investigations are continuing.
The teen was travelling home from school in a car driven by Fernandez last when he was fatally shot. The gunman fired repeatedly at the occupants of the vehicle and one of the bullets caused it to explode. The bodies of the two victims were burnt.
Andrews will be buried today following a funeral service at TIWU Hall in Laventille.