Commissioner of Police shoots for 10% reduction in murders

COMMISSIONER of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher is aiming to reduce homicides by ten per cent in 2024, but is some way behind that target.

She revealed the target as she addressed questions on her violent-crime-reduction plan while speaking at a media conference at the Police Administration Building, Port of Spain on July 14.

Harewood-Christopher said the plan is a holistic one aimed at managing violent crime.

“We are focusing on the dismantling of criminal gangs, the retrieval of illegal firearms, the eradication of drug blocks, and increased focus on transnational crime. We are enhancing our police intelligence capability. We are leveraging the use of technology to enhance police operations.”

She added the plan will also target serious repeat offenders.

“It focuses on precision policing of the power few, meaning that we pay more attention to the prolific offenders within that plan.

The CoP said the plan also seeks to improve the relationship between the police and the public.

“We are building legitimacy and public trust and confidence, increasing police presence and visibility, improving the quality of the police response, increasing accountability through greater supervision and management of police operations, improving our roadway management, exhibiting a zero-tolerance position and police indiscipline and corruption, promoting positive public messaging and focusing on cyber crimes.”

Asked what the public could expect, she said, “Different communities require different policing strategies. In some communities, we may see a bit more aggressive policing.”

Harewood-Christopher said the TTPS continues to monitor the targets set out in the plan.

“We are focusing on a 30 per cent reduction for violent crime, a 25 per cent detection for homicides, a 15 per cent increase in the retrieval of firearms, a 15 per cent reduction in serious crimes, a ten per cent reduction in homicide, a 20 per cent reduction in violent crimes, a ten per cent reduction in larceny of motor vehicles, a five per cent reduction in fatal traffic accidents.”

The police are currently behind the intended homicide target, with 284 murders recorded in the first half of 2024 compared to 288 in 2023, a reduction of just 1.4 per cent.

The homicide detection rate is lagging, with 20 of those 284 murders solved (seven per cent) compared to 37 of 288 murders (12.85 per cent) in June 2023.

Woundings and shootings are down by 15 per cent, with 330 incidents recorded compared to 390 in 2023.

The number of rapes, incest and sexual offences has been almost halved, with 242 incidents reported up till June 2024 compared to 563 in the comparable period last year, a 42.9 per cent reduction.

The number of people held for possession of arms and ammunition has also dropped drastically from 696 to 450, a reduction of 35.3 per cent.

Crime in general is down, though, compared to last year, with 5206 crimes reported up till June 30, 2024, and 6738 crimes reported in the same period last year, a reduction of 22.7 per cent.

Last year, the TTPS was unable to meet its crime reduction targets. Harewood-Christopher, speaking at a parliamentary joint select committee meeting on January 31, said the targets were “a bit exaggerated.”

She added that this exaggeration was done to "motivate police officers" to strive to hit those targets and pointed out to JSC members that no anti-crime plan initiated before her time had ever achieved the intended objective.

Speaking at a more recent JSC meeting on national security on July 8, she said the inability to meet the targets in the 2023 crime reduction plan was due to several factors, including a lack of senior personnel to implement the plan.

“For most of 2023, the organisation did not have a substantive leadership. As a matter of fact, the CoP had, at one point, one deputy commissioner (DCP) to assist her and as a result the CoP and DCP would have had to perform the role of one CoP and three DCPs, so that would have had its challenges on the complete implementation of the violent-crime-reduction plan.”

Speaking on Sunday she said the recent decision to send officers to Tobago will not hamper the crime-reduction plan.

“We have measured our resources. We are properly staffed so that we are not affected. Our operations in Trinidad will not be affected.”

Meanwhile, an internal memo from the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Administration and Operational Support, said officers are restricted from applying for leave.

The memo, dated July 16, 2024, and titled Restriction of Leave, was issued to regional and divisional commanders.

It said, “Due to ongoing exigencies of the organisation, all applications for vacation and compensatory leave are restricted until further notice. Also, all leave requests previously approved may be rescinded or amended.”

The letter, signed by DCP Natasha George, said officers who had Carnival leave had until September 30 to take this leave.

The memo said this move had become “imperative” to maintain and increase current anti-crime initiatives “where additional human resources are required to stymie the surge of homicides and other serious criminal activities.”