Police Commissioner warns criminals: We are coming after you

Police Commissioner Erla Christopher is warning criminals that police are coming after them.

In a media release on Friday, Christopher said the TTPS remains very focused and intent on achieving its targets for reducing criminal activities in TT.

“The criminals have made their intentions clear, and so have we, and our message to them is, if you intend to be on the wrong side of the law, know that we are coming after you. The question is not if but when we will get you.”

Christopher said, “We will sustain our efforts to preserve and build on the successes we have achieved this year. Our various units will continue to conduct strategic intelligence-led exercises in the upcoming weeks through Christmas and into the New Year.

“We will maintain the intensity of our operations to protect our young people and to give all citizens the confidence and assurance that we are working to ensure their safety and security.”

She made the comments after crime eradication exercises by police between Wednesday and Friday resulted in the arrest of several gang members and the recovery of stolen vehicles and a gun.

The gang members were held during an exercise at around 1 am on Thursday in the St Paul Street and Calvary Hill areas.

Fifteen suspects, including alleged gang leaders, were arrested after 13 warrants were executed.

The suspects are currently detained and assisting police with outstanding investigations.

The TTPS also focused on recovering stolen vehicles during various exercises.

Officers in the North Eastern Division paid particular attention to various areas used as cool-off zones by car thieves.

While patrolling the Morvant Police District, officers saw a white Kia Cerrato parked along Angeline Street, Morvant, close to the cemetery.

The car had a broken window on the driver’s side, and the ignition was tampered with.

The vehicle was taken to the San Juan Police Sub Station.

The officers also went to Redman Lane, El Socorro, after they received information of men tampering with a car.

While driving into the street, they saw a white Nissan Almera heading in the opposite direction.

The driver came out of the car and started running in the opposite direction but was caught after a short chase.

The front seat passenger was also held.

Police discovered the car was stolen at gunpoint in Woodbrook on Thursday night.

Northern Division officers recovered a Black Honda HRV, stolen in Couva and arrested five people.

Four were arrested on robbery enquiries, and the fifth was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, disorderly behaviour, obscene language, resisting arrest, inciting a crowd to commit acts of violence and assaulting a police officer.

Officers from the Inter-Agency Task Force also recovered another stolen car along Bath Street, East Dry River, Port of Spain.

Acting on information, they went to the area where they saw a white Nissan Tiida with a broken window on the left back passenger door.

The licence plate on the Tiida was registered to a white Toyota Fielder Wagon, and checks of the chassis number revealed the car was stolen in Arima on Tuesday.

It was taken to the Besson Street Police Station as further enquiries continue.

Meanwhile, on Thursday in the Southern Division, police went to Harripaul Village, Diamond, San Fernando, and executed a search warrant for stolen vehicles.

Officers examined a black Nissan X-Trail and saw the chassis number had been altered.

They concluded the vehicle was either stolen or unlawfully obtained and seized it for further checks.

Then, around 2 pm on Thursday, officers on patrol along Richard Street, Mc Bean, Couva, saw a man with an unusually long cigarette in his hand.

Police say when the man saw them, he took a gun from the waist of his pants and threw it a short distance away.

He was arrested, and a Glock 43 pistol with one magazine and six rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition were seized.

Southern police also executed ten warrants between 9 pm Thursday and 3 am Friday and arrested five people.