64% increase in detection rate

Police in the South Western Division are boasting of a 64 per cent increase in the detection rate.

At yesterday’s weekly police press briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, Acting Sen Supt Inraj Balram said the division has also seen a nine per cent reduction in reported serious crimes, when compared to the same period last year, from 554 to 506.

The attributed the successes to the dedication and commitment of the members of the division and the residents of the various communities who continue to work with the police to ensure safety and security.

“The detection rate of 64 per cent is the highest in all the nine divisions in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service,” Balram said.

“With regard to reports of robberies, we have had a 21 per cent reduction from 131 in 2016 to 103 for 2017. We have also realised a 42 per cent reduction in break-in offences from 149 in 2016 to 86 in 2017.”

Balram also said the division found and seized 50 firearms of various types, which was the same amount for 2016, and they had achieved a 17 per cent reduction in murders from 18 in 2016 to 15 for this year.

He said while the division had achieved a commendable record of performance for 2017 so far, he was very concerned about gun-related violence and the murders.

Balram said the number of guns removed from the streets spoke to the volume of illegal firearms circulating in the country.

“The officers of the South Western Division have conducted in excess of 16,651 patrols for the year thus far, both mobile and foot, placing great emphasis on hot-spot patrolling which has indeed proven to be very effective. Several exercises were conducted for the year relative to DUI where, for the period under review, a total of 6,122 persons were administered DUI tests and 407 were arrested and charged.”

Balram said the division has nine coastal divisions and 24-hour coastal patrols have been implemented.

When asked if there was an increase in the arrival of illegal Venezuelan immigrants, he said, “No, we have not noticed any significant difference as compared to last year.”