Cop: Police did not reignite comfort patrols

COMMISSIONER of Police Gary Griffith said neither he nor the police "reignited the community comfort patrols (CCP)."

The CCP was first launched in 2014 when Griffith was national security minister in the PP government.

In a statement issued by the police on Wednesday , Griffith said the police did not make such a request, nor did they have the authority and funding for such a project.

He said the initiative announced on Tuesday, which involved four private security firms patrolling certain neighbourhoods for the next month, was a policy drafted by the Government.

Griffith said the police service "carries out government policy drafted and we will make the best use of any policy to ensure that criminal elements do not use this period of the covid19 crisis to carry out their illegal acts."

At the moment, he said the police are responsible for carrying out the policy in the Public Health Ordinance to ensure that the population adheres to what is necessary as TT fights the virus.

Griffith said, "Our officers are on the frontline as we ensure that there are no breaches to the regulations."

He said police had arrested three bar owners for running their businesses despite the enforcement of the regulations.

He added that although there is a list of non-essential businesses, "we are still seeing too many people on the roads, many of whom really have no business being out there."