Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander cited a 46% drop in murders. He proposed limiting bail for repeat offenders.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander said Saturday the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is moving in a positive direction and that its work is having a similar impact on crime. He cited a 46% decrease in murders compared with the last two years.
Speaking on TTT’s “Focus” morning show, Alexander said people charged with multiple offenses should not be allowed to walk around on bail while victims relive the trauma. He said there should be a limit of three strikes on a person’s record, and that some people are out on bail with 20 or 30 offenses. He said a court could decide to deny bail to someone it considers too great a risk. In the House of Representatives on Friday, he put the decrease at 46% in crime and said there had been no increase in robberies or home invasions. These figures were not independently verified.
Alexander credited the government’s changes since taking office, including a new Commissioner of Police and efforts to address manpower shortages, extra vehicles and new micro police units. He said the government is looking at changing the promotion system for career officers and boosting the 999 emergency center so that every console has an operator to answer calls and dispatch a response. He said the home invasion team is doing very well and that there are homicide teams in three regions, and that the government is seeking international help to improve investigators’ skills. He said he attended a money-laundering course with partners from El Salvador and the United States, and that the forensic science center is overwhelmed. He said he believes that a person who breaks into a home and is shot after failing to surrender must bear responsibility, and he defended people’s right to defend their homes.
After a recent robbery outside a bank in Maraval, Alexander said financial institutions should reconsider where ATMs are positioned, moving them from public corridors to protect customers from prying ears and eyes. He said police are in talks with banks about the threat and that banks should help elderly customers use online banking and transfers to reduce the need to carry cash. He urged the public to be vigilant when depositing or withdrawing large sums and to report suspicious activity to police.
Information for this report was provided by TTT News.