CoP: Coastal police for criminal-invaded Carenage

Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith
Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith

COMMISSIONER of Police Gary Griffith said the coastal police unit has been relaunched in Carenage where rival gangs have been using the seafront.

He was speaking yesterday at the sod-turning ceremony for the new Carenage police station.

Griffith said the new station was more than just a building and would be put to good use. He said in the future there will be less need for buildings as citizens will not have to come to police stations to make reports.

He noted the Carenage station, however, was a welcome addition.

“Criminal elements have launched an invasion. This will assist in putting an end to this element.”

He said the current location (at Constabulary Street) is ineffective and citizens were reluctant to visit it. He explained the new location on the main road was effective for roadblocks. He also said the police do not have to wait for the station to be fully constructed, and next week there will be two temporary accommodations behind the building.

Griffith said in Carenage there were gangs living side by side and this will be dealt with through a proper police presence. He also said, with one road in and one road out of the area, if someone tried to get out the police can immediately lock down the area.

He reported rival gangs have been using the seafront, and with the location of the station police will be able to deal with criminal activities along the seafront.

Griffith explained the coastal unit will have: interceptors in San Fernando and Point Fortin and environs; flat-bottom vessels patrolling low-lying waters in Gulf of Paria; and at Carenage where interceptors are placed to be able to launch patrols along the seafront from Sea Lots all the way to areas where criminals will try to cross land.

He stressed the unit will not replace the Coast Guard, but there will be a three-tier approach: shore line to two miles out which will be manned by coastal patrol unit; Coast Guard from two to ten miles out; and finally from ten miles out to 200 miles, the exclusive economic zone.

Griffith said police drones will help in dealing with border protection.

The Prime Minister in his remarks said there was a marine police unit in the past but it was stopped.

He said the new police station will be opened and commissioned by September 2020.

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"CoP: Coastal police for criminal-invaded Carenage"

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