Police on CoP's promised murder-toll reduction: We are doing our best

Senior police say they are doing their best to meet the June deadline proposed by Commissioner of Police Erla Christopher to reduce the murder toll.

Christopher made the promise when she appeared before Parliament's Joint Select Committee in February, at which she said she expected to see a short-term change in the murder toll by June and a long-term change by December, this year.

There have been 153 murders for the year so far compared to 122 for the same period last year.

Responding to questions from reporters at the weekly police media briefing on Sackville Street, Port of Spain, on Thursday, ACP Winston Maharaj said, "The commissioner committed to a June timeline to use my words, normalise the environment as it relates to crime and criminality.

"The police is in fact doing it's part to fulfil that timeline, to the extent that we actually have a reduction in serious crimes in Trinidad and Tobago. An 18 per cent reduction in serious crimes.

"Of course, the murder toll takes away from that figure, so we are on our way to normalising the environment.

"All officers are committed and over time we will see the result, we hope that we can fulfil it.

"The short answer is: we are getting closer to June and we are giving our best effort to normalise and meet that timeline."

Maharaj said guns remained the most popular weapon of choice for committing murders, noting that for the year so far 190 guns were seized, 23 of which were rifles.

He also reported that murders were currently being solved at a detection rate of 21 per cent and he anticipated more arrests and charges being brought soon.