ACP Mystar launches confidence patrols – South cops focus on domestic violence

WITH 15 of the 29 domestic violence-related murders recorded this year occurring in Southern Division, ACP Wayne Mystar says officers will be undertaking a number of measures to educate and combat this form of criminality as part of initiatives aimed at improving public safety during Christmas season.

Mystar made this known while speaking with reporters as he launched the confidence patrols initiative for the South Central area at South Park, San Fernando on November 21.

"Part of our interaction would also be educating people about domestic issues (like) how to go about getting a protection order, how we are going to deal with the whole aspect of protection orders, and how we follow up on people who have protection orders in existence."

Apart from simply educating the public, he said, police would also check in with everyone who received a protection order from the courts. This, he said, was an order that came from the TTPS executive two weeks ago.

"We have a proactive approach, so we would have instructed station commanders to get all protection orders on their files, and the patrols that are going out, they are instructed to visit the holders of these protection orders.

"This is to let these victims (of domestic violence) know they are not alone, the police are here to support them, and that in itself too can deter the person against whom these orders were taken out from seeking to commit a domestic crime."

On October 8, Tara Ramsaroop and her daughter Jada Mootilal were chopped to death at the home of a close male relative at Location Road, off Rochard Road, Barrackpore shortly before 11 am. Relatives claimed a person known to Ramsaroop was never served four different court-ordered protection orders by the police.

As part of the education campaign, Mystar said, brochures on protecting against sexual assault would be distributed to women.

Mystar said officers would also be engaging members of the public to rebuild trust and confidence in the TTPS.

He said while the police are trying to do their part during the Christmas season, he also urged shoppers to remember to make themselves hard targets for opportunistic criminals.

"Criminals love easy targets, they love easy opportunities."

He added: "We will be here in our numbers. We would be patrolling, but we are also asking members of the public that they have a personal responsibility in how they carry about themselves and being extra-vigilant, together with the members of the business community. It's a combined effort."

Also patrolling and distributing flyers on Thursday were ASP Rishi Ramsaran and officers from the ACP's office, the Southern Division Task Force and the Road Enforcement Task Force.