(Trinidad Express) With eight persons being murdered in separate incidents over the long Christmas weekend, Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs on Tuesday expressed concern over the incidents but assured the police will continue to do all in their power to deal with such incidents.

The eight killings occurred between last Friday and yesterday in Valencia, Maracas/St Joseph, Claxton Bay, San Fernando, Laventille, Aranjuez and Caroni.

Two of the victims, one of them a woman, were stabbed, while the other six were shot during separate incidents.

The dead people have been identified as army Sgt George Sheldon Froix, Sheldon “Nippy” Gillman, Kern “Chucky” Mitchell, Anil Bhagwandass, Brent Dickson, Noel Marcano, Amanda Phillip and Krishandath “Trudy” Ramesar.

Gibbs spoke with the Express during a brief telephone interview shortly after returning to the country from an overseas trip.

Gibbs said he hadn’t had a chance to catch up with what has transpired in the country during his absence but gave the undertaking the police will continue to work with the various stakeholders to provide effective and efficient policing.

He said at the end of 2011, the country would have recorded a lower crime rate and he intends to maintain this with the possibility of taking the rate to an even lower level compared to the past years.

Gibbs said: “At the moment I’m not in a position to say anything since I’m trying to get up to speed with all that has transpired during my absence so I’m not in a position to take any questions.

He added, “We are hoping to expand on all of our policing initiatives especially dealing with the 21st Century Policing Initiative. My wish for 2012 is to have crime way down in the sense that we see people trying to work together and not solving their differences by killing each other and for the country to flourish economically and politically.”