Police union offers $20,000 to find PC Gilkes' killers

People with information on the location of those involved in the murder of PC Clarence Gilkes may be able to receive up to $20,000 cash, as the TT Police Service Social Welfare Association (TTPSSWA) has issued a reward for information leading to the suspects' capture.

Speaking with reporters near the scene of the shooting in Upper Rich Plains Road, Diego Martin, on Friday night, president of the TTPSSWA acting ASP Gideon Dickson offered condolences to Gilkes' family for their loss and said the association would do their part to try and find those responsible.

"We want to put on record to say that we will put out $20,000 for any information leading to the successful capture of the perpetrator and we know who it is and the people in the community here also know who it is so we are calling on our community members to partner with the police.

"We have several different anonymous means of communication, once the information is credible and it leads to the capture of the culprits, the association will pay a $20,000 reward and we will also call on other stakeholders to partner with us.

"If you have attacked law enfiorcement on this occasion, the next time will be law-abiding citizens."

Dickson said the association had already sent representatives to the home of Gilkes' family and promised that he would lobby for a $1 million cash reward be issued to his family.

He said the seriousness of the incident demanded a prompt response, noting that the association would also be prepared to assist Gilkes' family in the short-term.

"From an association perspective we will do what we have to do to ensure the family of officer Gilkes will get what they are truly deserving of.

"Because he was shot in the line of duty he would have died in the line of duty, we will be lobbying the minister over this weekend to ensure that it takes place in the shortest time.

"We will be having our central committee reps check on the family to ensure the association could in fact provide some relief in the short-term."

In September 2014 the then People's Partnership administration accepted the proposal from the police to pay $1 million to relatives of any police officer killed in the line of duty.

Also speaking on the issue of the payment at the scene, acting Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob said he had already received word from National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds that the payment by government of $1 million to Gilkes' family would be fast-tracked.