CoP apologises for raid on Gulf View homes

COMMISSIONER of Police Gary Griffith has apologised to homeowners in the Gulf View area for the police raid on their homes in May.

Griffith issued the apology at a town hall meeting on Wednesday night at the Gulf View Community Centre in south Trinidad.

The centre is a stone’s throw from where heavily armed police descended in a pre-dawn raid, searched premises and found nothing, leaving behind traumatised residents who threatened legal action.

Attorney General and MP for the area Faris Al-Rawi said the police action was lawful and they were merely seeking information to locate and rescue a kidnap victim. He also cleared the home owners of any wrongdoing.

“I do apologise for the incident that took place when the police were forced to go into the home in Gulf View on that day,” Griffith told the audience, which included candidates contesting the December 2 local government elections, Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein, who lives in the area, and Sen Supt Wayne Mohammed. San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello chaired the meeting.

“I do apologise, just like I would apologise for the same situation that would have taken place on many occasions during similar operations in Beetham, Laventille, Morvant, in other areas we deem hot spots,” the CoP said. “But I can’t just deliberately turn a blind eye if it is that someone’s life is at risk”

Griffith told the residents who complained about crime and other issues plaguing the area that the decision to raid the Gulf View homes was “a judgement call.”

Al-Rawi ,who spoke before Griffith, said the exercise was for the collection of data to locate and save a kidnap victim.

“I can tell you now, the police were in hot pursuit of a certain crime.

“It was not that any of the people whose homes were searched were the subject of police action. The police were – and I believe I can say this now, because the matter has been attended to – the police were dealing with triangulation of cellphone data to assist us in recovering a kidnap victim. I can say that publicly now.

"So when you saw the action in Gulf View, it was actually the police doing what they should do to locate a kidnap victim that has since been successfully located and saved.”

He praised Griffith for his tremendous record in dealing with kidnappings.

Al-Rawi added, “What happened in that matter was a part of a police exercise which is permitted in law. That would work itself out in due course by way of our amendment to the Interception of Communications Act which will allow for a little bit more clarity to come into that situation.”

He said the act will allow the police to lawfully intercept communication and also manage data, which is triangulation of information.