Police: Trust us to fight extortion

SNR SUPT Richard Smith has urged businessmen facing extortion to report to a dedicated unit under him to deal with their cases.

He spoke at a briefing at the Ministry of National Security in Port of Spain on September 6.

He was earlier introduced by Keith Scotland, minister in the ministry, who said the police and the ministry have stepped up efforts against extortion.

Smith said in 2022, some 16 extortion cases had occurred, of which the police had solved seven.

He said last year, Trinidad and Tobago had seen 162 cases, including 134 committed by a husband-and-wife team against one person.

So far this year, some 19 extortion reports have been made to the police, who have charged two people on nine counts, for a detection rate of 48 per cent, Smith said.

He said extortion cases were not easy to solve, being perpetrated by "cowards hiding behind phones."

"I urge the business community to make reports," Smith said. "We need co-operation from victims."

He urged victims to call his police unit at 797-3150.

Smith otherwise said the police were working hard to curb home invasions. They were supporting neighbourhood watch groups, a CCTV camera initiative called the Eli Project, and target-hardening of homes against intruders. They were using technology plus co-operation with businesses and communities to get such incursions under control, he said.

"We are expecting the assistance of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago."

Smith lamented a case where children had been involved in extortion.

"We are going to take some of the parents to task, because young children are committing crimes.

"Recently the description of three persons who went to extort or demand money from a particular businessman was one person between the ages of 17 and 22 and two around the age of eight. I am saying eight years!

"Do you know where your children are on a daily basis? Especially during the JAVA (July-August) vacation, do you know where your children are? You must be responsible for your children and their whereabouts."

Newsday asked if people's reluctance to report extortion was due to fear of criminals and uncertainty over whether the police could act as quickly as the criminals.

Smith replied, "I'd be speculating here. We know persons have a fear of crime, so that is one of the major issues.

"But we also have initiatives we want to put in place, and we need the co-operation of the victim to do that.

"We know persons have trust issues as well."

He said that was why the police had created a special team to combat extortion with confidentiality.

"Give us the opportunity to try, and (don't) just say the police are not doing anything.

"It is unfair to make those type of statements when (people) never made a report in the first instance."

He said while victims may be fearful, they must be able to trust someone in the police service to make a report to.

A reporter asked if victims were afraid rogue police officers might be in league with extortionists.

Smith replied, "The assurance I can give them is: this is a highly confidential number.

"The persons (police) receiving these (complaint) calls have been highly vetted and they are in fact trustworthy persons that would be receiving these calls, and then I would be co-ordinating the investigations."

Earlier, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher said the police would hold parents accountable for the activities of their children.

Reporters later asked under what legislation the police might be empowered to do so.

Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds replied: offences under the package of children's legislation.

Snr Supt Rishi Singh said the Children Act, adding that parental responsibility for errant children has been "a national cry."

Scotland said the Anti-Gang Act puts an onus on parents to report such matters.

He added, "The Education Act mandates that children of a certain age must be in school."

He also referred to the common-law offence of aiding and abetting a crime, if parents facilitated their children's actions.

Hinds lamented a recent video of three male pupils in a secondary school brazenly gambling in a classroom while a teacher was trying to teach.

He said all government ministries were working for young people, but in addition parental accountability for youngsters was critical.

Scotland said the entire country needed to help arrest the current situation.

Newsday asked if any debate was under way about any new laws to hold parents accountable for their children, but Scotland said the law was already in place.

"It needs to be acted upon."