Top cop: More patrols for Laventille

A day after a brazen attack on members of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) in Laventille, ACP (Crime) Irwin Hackshaw on Thursday said all was being done to ensure the safety of residents and police alike in that community.

Hackshaw said that the shooting incident on Wednesday, in which IATF officers were shot at by gang members in the Laventille hills, has engaged the attention of the police and efforts are being made to stabilise that community.

“There will be a definite increase in comfort patrols to ease the fears of residents and we are exploring different options to treat with the situation in Laventille and to see how we can find the individuals responsible for this incident. Of course, we also take the safety of our officers very seriously and we will be making checks to ensure they are properly equipped with protective gear and are aware and alert to their surroundings on the beat.”

On Wednesday an IATF squad was stopping and searching cars on the Old St Joseph Road in Laventille in an area known only as the tamarind tree, when they were shot at by suspected gang members from the hills. The police made for cover and returned fire. No one was harmed.