Police boast of lowest crime in two decades

NEW POLICIES and public support are being credited for a historical drop in crime statistics.

At a media briefing last Thursday Police Commissioner Griffith provided data to show there has been a noticeable decrease in crime over several years. He added, though, the perception of crime is still high, but said with continued reduction in actual crimes, the perception will eventually be reduced.

"In the last year or so,” he said, “we saw over 100 policies established. So every four days the police established a new policy to improve. The more we improved our standards, we would be able to improve our service."

Different styles of leadership and management have led to the police operating effectively, Griffith believes. Technological assistance also contributed; for instance, something as simple as GPS tracking of police vehicles proved useful.

"In 2020 we had the lowest number of serious crimes in 20 years. “I can even refer to the past, in 2014, when there were 12,057 reported serious crimes. Last year there were 10,188. “There was a 23 per cent decrease from last year compared to 2019."

Griffith added: "And of course the comparative national murders: we had 397 murders last year, compared to 538 the previous year.

“Yet people continue to give false information that crime is increasing."

Not because of covid19

Griffith was dismissive of those who believed the decrease in crime was at least partly because of covid19 restrictions on movement imposed for part of last year.

"The armchair criminologists who claim it’s because of covid – apparently they missed the memo, so rather they try to find an excuse. We feel confident in knowing we are going in the right direction."

Griffith provided crime statistics from other countries to bolster his point that while crime was dropping in TT, it was increasing elsewhere during the pandemic. He listed four US major cities, highlighting that in the midst of the pandemic, they saw notable increases in murders from 2019 to now while TT saw decreases.

Mexico and Jamaica showed a miminal decrease between their 2019 and 2020 murder stats, of three per cent. TT had a 26 per cent decrease. Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia had a 36-55 per cent increase for the same period.

Comparatively, for January-March 2021, when compared to the same period in 2020, TT had a 37 per cent decrease in murders. As at the date of the briefing, April 22, TT had 51 fewer murders than in 2020: 105 compared to 156. The major cities used showed between a 13-33 percent increase in murders. Jamaica had a three per cent increase. No data was given for Mexico.

Other crimes down

Also speaking at the briefing was DCP Mc Donald Jacob, who said there has been an overall 14 per cent reduction in serious crime compared to last year.

"Robberies, we have a 25 per cent reduction in robberies, (and) a 37 per cent reduction in larceny of motor vehicles."

He added: "This is very important to bring forward what is really happening in the country, in relation to performance of police officers. Media reports – sometimes it’s a demotivator of what is happening and the officers who are working hard."

Another of the fruits of that hard work, he said, was 18 people being charged for murder this year.

Jacob said there has been a 43 per cent decrease in kidnappings, from 148 in 2019 to 84 last year.

In reports of rape and other sexual offences, there were also decreases. In 2020, police recorded 563 sexual offences. compared to 788 in 2019.

Arms and ammunition

While crime statistics are on the decrease, seizures of ammunition for high-powered rifles have increased.

In 2020, 528 people were arrested for possession of firearms and ammunition. For 2021, with almost four months of the year gone, 222 people have been arrested for those offences.

"Why are we constantly emphasising the whole aspect of firearms and ammunition?

“Well, around 81 per cent of violent crimes are as a result of use of firearms,” Jacob explained. “So we made a direct decision to concentrate on the removal of firearms. “A lot of persons charged are in fact gang members and persons involved in transnational crimes, serious crimes and violent crimes in TT."

In 2020, 775 guns were found; so far 180 have been seized this year.

Jacob pointed out that there is a notable increase in ammunition seized – but what is alarming is the types.

"In 2019 we found and seized 11,392 rounds of ammunition; in 2020, 37,697; and in 2021, 3,080 rounds of ammunition.

“The part that is telling is the type of ammunition found: 7.62 and 5.56 rounds are basically used in high-powered rifles, AR-15s and AK 47s and so on."

In 2019, 1,600 rounds of 7.62 rounds of ammunition were seized. The next year 2,323 rounds were recovered. So far 120 rounds have been seized this year.

Seizures of rounds of 5.56 ammunition have followed an upward trajectory, with 1,390 found in 2019 and ten more the following year.

This year the police have already seized almost half that amount: 646 rounds.

This, Jacob said, demonstrated a great demand for high-powered ammunition and high-powered guns.

TT is now being assisted by the US Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms unit (ATF) and Homeland Security, Jacob said. Coming out of a regional security meeting held last week, both entities promised their support to TT and the Caribbean for battling gun-related offences, especially as many of the weapons are coming from North America.

"The whole idea is to deal with this aspect of firearms, which we consider as a transnational crime taking place. There are plans for us to develop a Caricom crime and intelligence centre to share information through co-ordination between all the Caribbean countries."

Frightening find

On Friday, police and Customs officials seized 30 guns and 762 rounds of assorted ammunition that were being smuggled through a legal port of entry.

A businessman linked to the importation is being sought by authorities.

Police said they believed the heavy artillery was imported for a specific purpose, as they also seized fake police sirens and blue lights.

In a media release, police said they received information from their international partners about the shipment of arms and ammo since March 15 and had been on the alert. Among the haul were 15 high-powered rifles.

Perhaps most ominously, however, there were also four police sirens, four sets of police blue lights, a bulletproof vest, six black balaclavas, like those used by tactical units of the police, and a packet of pills believed to be ecstasy.

The find came days after another major haul in which Customs seized several pieces of gun-related equipment and a revolver. A 28-year-old Tacarigua man is assisting police in relation to that find.

Thanking the public

Griffith said many of the achievements the police can boast about now are owed to the assistance of the public.

Asked how these achievements were made, he said: "Improvement in intelligence-gathering, getting different arms of the protective services working together and massive injection in public support and confidence in the police.

"We are bombarded by persons who do not want to be known but are assisting us and giving us information to prevent murders or robberies and shootings, and we can then have a roadblock and so on.

“The public confidence and trust will play a factor in ensuring a reduction in crime."