Time frame for response to spousal abuse

ACTING National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says he will be speaking with Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams on possibly having a set time frame for the police to respond to reports of spousal abuse.

He was responding to a question in the House yesterday from Naparima MP Rodney Charles who asked what were the protocols to ensure the Police Service responded in a timely and appropriate manner to reports of violent neighbours and violence of a domestic nature like spousal abuse.

Hinds then proceeded to read out the rules and procedures in the legislation. Charles asked: “Do the protocols enumerated by the acting minister of national security contain specific time frames for responding to a complaint for example - for spousal abuse? And if not, is it the intend of the ministry to develop specific time frames as they do in Canada, the United States and Singapore.”

Hinds said the rules and procedures imply good sense, reasonableness and urgency in the officer executing their duties. “If it becomes necessary I have no doubts that as they do in other countries specific time frames can easily be included. It is a matter I am prepared to raise with the Commissioner of Police who manages and monitors these arrangements.”

Earlier in the urgent question segment Princes Town MP Barry Padarath asked about new specific measures that emerged out of a meeting with divisional heads held this week to tackle the burning issue of murders and serious crime.

Hinds said the meeting held on May 22, 2018 between National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and police divisional heads was to receive an update on the strategies currently being pursued at the various divisions in the fight against crime.