Cop: Serious crime in Tobago down by 20%

TTPS Superintendent Rodhil Kirk says there has been a 20 per cent decline in serious crimes in Tobago.

Speaking on the Tobago Channel Five morning show on Monday, Kirk  noted a reduction in the serious crime statistics.

“What we recognised over the past week, we have been enjoying a significant decrease in the levels of serious crimes...So far, I think, we had a 20 per cent decrease in comparison to what we had last year around this time.”

Praising his officers for their hard work, Kirk said the detection rate is increasing.

“I want to reach out and urge my officers to continue the hard work they have been doing over the past few months. We’re seeing an improvement, and we’re grateful for that.”

With regard to murders, he said those involve very intricate investigations.

“My last communication with the homicide bureau in Tobago is that they are pursuing some leads. They have to dot the I’s and cross the T’s before they could advance to the Director of Public Prosecutions in order to get advice.

“I am not saying that we’re there yet, but I know that the officers have been working continuously over day and night in order to bring some of the last murders which occurred to a solution soon.”

To date, Tobago has recorded seven murders this year:

February 9: Plymouth resident Nigel Sandy was shot near his home and died at the Scarborough General Hospital.

April 8: Lynch Bovell, 49, of Sesame Street, Bethel, was shot. He died at the Scarborough General Hospital on April 12.

April 9: Alex “Papa” Cooper, 22, originally from Moruga, was gunned down at Logwood Park, Scarborough.

April 27: Donneil Thomas, 40, from Mentor Drive, Luke Road, Signal Hill, a labourer at the THA Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and Rural Development, was shot at his home.

May 4: 68-year-old Edward Eastman was found murdered at Old Ground in Golden Lane.

May 8: Hakeem Thomas of Mt Pleasant was near a mini-mart in Mt Pleasant when a car pulled up and someone inside started shooting. Thomas later died of his injuries at the Scarborough General Hospital.

June 5: Denson Turner was reportedly in a garage at a house in Les Coteaux when two gunmen shot him. Turner died at the scene.

Of the seven killings, only two have been solved.