DCP: Murders approach 600 but cops will not give up fight

The country stands just four murders away from the haunting milestone of 600 for the year, a toll that would mark a second in TT's history and deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin says his troops will continue the fight to keep the number from surpassing 2022's figure of 605 – the all-time murder toll record.

According to senior police sources, the toll as at December 20 stands at 596. This means 39 more murders have been recorded this year as compared to last year at the same date, which stood at 557.

Benjamin spoke to Newsday by phone call on December 20 and said the the police were not happy with the current toll, but were not daunted by the task of fighting crime and criminal elements.

"I have met with all the divisional commanders and assistant commissioners, up to today, and we have looked at our operational plans for Christmas into Old Year's and the new-year period and we have put all the necessary things in place to have more police officers in the street."

Benjamin said the police will also have special operations in hotspot areas during this period.

"We will be targeting priority offenders and trying to disrupt and dismantle gang activities.

"We are hoping that we can slow down the crime situation so that it does not go pass the number from 2022."

Benjamin said the dynamic of crime changes daily, but the police will remain focused. He also urged the public to continue to support the police.

"Crime is everybody's business. We have had incremental successes when we had the co-operation from the public.

"Continue to work with us. We can change this crime situation, if we continue to work together."

Prior to Newsday's conversation with Benjamin, police conducted numerous road exercises and special operations throughout the country.

Insp Shawn Steele of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) spoke to Newsday at one of the operations in front of Riverside Plaza on December 20.

He said the joint operation was geared toward making the country safer as the holiday season approached.

"It is the first of many to come for Christmas and the new year.

"There's various locations the exercise is taking place at this time. It's from the North Eastern division all the way through to the Port of Spain division."

Steele said over 250 police were deployed for the exercises which included – road traffic exercises, house searches, drug block searches and outstanding warrants.

Steele said everything ran smoothly.

Snr Supt Dave Spence of the IATF said no guns, ammunitions or drugs were found, however, two people were arrested for being disqualified from driving.

Murder rate back on the rise

The murder toll has surged once again, with nine murders being recorded between December 15 and 20.

On December 15, Ben Plaza, 35, of Bye Pass Road, Maturita Extension, Arima was gunned down around 9.25 pm.

Police found 36 9mm spent shells at the scene.

On December 16, Ronnie Hosein, 45, of Princes Town was found by his wife lying in a pool of blood at their unfinished home after he failed to pick up his son from school. Police believe Hosein's death stemmed from a dispute.

On December 17, a 61-year-old businessman was killed in Barrackpore at the home of a friend.

He was Deonarine Mahase of DM Contractors Ltd. He was shot and killed. Police said robbery was the motive for his death.

On December 18, three more murders were recorded.

Keshav Jaghoo, 38, was found dead at Jonathan Street, Cunupia near a bridge. He had apparent stab wounds to his body and valuables were missing from him.

Chandra Ramnanan, 41, of Debe was also found dead on December 18.

Police said an eyewitness told them that he saw Ramnanan's body being thrown out of a white wagon at the side of the road.

Further investigation found that around 12.45 pm on December 18 Ramnanan was seen by a close female relative, leaving his Debe home.

All calls to his phone thereafter went unanswered and he had not been seen or heard from.

The female relative reported to police that she received multiple calls from unknown people asking about her Ramnanan's kidnapping. Police are still investigating the incident and death.

A dispute over a parking space turned deadly outside a supermarket in Point Fortin on the night of December 18.

Ronald Marchan, 42, who worked as a driver with Persad’s Wholesale and Retail Ltd, died at 8.48 pm at the Point Fortin Hospital.

Marchan, of Tabaquite, was stabbed multiple times.

A 34-year-old unemployed man from Point Fortin surrendered to the police minutes later and is in custody.

On December 19, a Colombian contractor was shot dead after a brazen shooting at a construction site in central Trinidad.

Jose Luis Guzman Orozco, 44, died on the spot in his van with the engine still running.

He lived at Rock River Road in St Helena.

The shooting happened around 4.20 pm on a mud road off Bejucal Road in Cunupia.

Police said Orozco was driving his van and stopped to speak with some of his workers.

A blue Hyundai Accent drove onto the site and stopped behind the contractor’s van.

Two masked men got out of the car and pointed guns at the contractor and workers.

The gunmen demanded Orozco, who was still in the driver’s seat, to "pass it."

One of the gunmen used a nearby shovel and smashed the right rear window of the van and then grabbed a black bag that was on the rear seat.

The masked men then ordered the workers to run.

As the workers scattered, they heard a series of gunshots.

When the gunfire stopped and the car left, they returned to the scene and found Orozco motionless behind the wheels with gunshot wounds.

The engine was still running. Investigators believe robbery to be the motive.

Also on December 19, a confrontation between two men left one dead and the other on the run from the police.

Akeem "Reddo" Greene, 34, died on the spot at the corner of Ethel Street and Byron Street after being shot by the gunman. He lived in La Romaine.

Police said around 10 pm Greene was driving his car along Ethel Street when he stopped and got out. A friend was also in the car.

A man approached him and after a brief confrontation, gunshots were heard.

Greene fell to the ground, injured, and the frightened occupant drove away with the car.

He parked the car at a relative's house on a nearby street, handed over the key, explained what had happened, and then left.

Police said investigations were ongoing.

On December 20, a 34-year-old El Socorro man was shot dead outside his home, early on December 20.

Police said around 12.10 am they received a report of gunshots at El Socorro Extension, San Juan.

They responded ten minutes later and found a man lying in a drain. He was already dead.

He has been identified as Shawn Shameer Mohammed.

Police found 13 9mm spent shell casings, two deformed projectiles and two metal fragments.

Police said investigations were ongoing.

Hinds: Crime is complex

Newsday asked Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds on December 20 after a press conference whether it was fair that the public used murder as a indicator of how well the police were doing.

"Whether it is fair or unfair... the people of TT, that includes the media, do use murder figures as the yard stick to determine the affairs of crime in TT.

"But I have seen on many occasions, like now, the police are reporting a reduction in all other serious crime, but yet an escalation in murder figures."

He said the issue of crime can be interpreted from many different perspectives.

"It's a very complex thing. There's a level of emotionalism involved. There's a level of politics involved. Nothing I say would please everyone. All because I am a PNM minister of government.

"Those opposed to the PNM will have a different view. There are different sociologist and criminologist that have different perspectives on causes of crime and how it is to be measured... The thing is rather complex."