(Trinidad Express) Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs said yesterday the failure of key stakeholders to work together had an impact on the escalating crime rate.
“We aren’t working strongly together but we can pull ourselves together and work very, very strongly,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs was speaking at a crime-talk workshop at the Ministry of National Security, Temple Court, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, which brought together the Mayors of Port of Spain, San Fernando and Point Fortin, several aldermen and regional councillors, as well as representatives of the Army and Police Service.
Minister of Local Government Suruj Rambachan and Sport Minister Anil Roberts also attended the meeting.
Gibbs said one of the problems stemmed from a lack of collaborative effort among the same stakeholders gathered in the room.
He said now that the key community leaders were brought together in one space there could be more collaborative effort between police and community leaders in order to reduce crime in the country.
“You have in Port of Spain leaders in various sectors, spiritual leaders and people that deal with community development, bring those people together, capitalise on all their strengths, with the police doing what we do in a collaborative fashion,” he said.
“Officers are out there to assist, to help, but the community has to stand up and say we want a safe community,” he said.
Gibbs was called to account by National Security Jack Warner who echoed sentiments raised by Port of Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing.
Lee Sing said he could not understand why a relatively small city like Port of Spain, with over a dozen police stations, still had such a high level of criminal activity.
Gibbs said the policing issue was more extensive than simple “deployment”.
“We can deploy more and more officers out in the street, but if they aren’t doing the right things, we can have thousands and thousands and thousands officers out there and we would get the same results,” Gibbs said.
Speaking with reporters after the two-hour meeting, Warner listed several changes coming to the Police Service but a better salary for officers may not be among the changes.
He said police officers themselves were “demoralised” and “showing passive resistance” to change.
“Toilets are bad, they are unsanitary, stations want painting, beds are broken down. These things are easy to fix. If you even give the police a $1 million a month they would still be demoralised, it has nothing to do with salary,” he said.
He said he would not be making a premature judgment on Gibbs and his job performance.
He confirmed that at a private meeting with business leaders last week, the businessmen expressed “serious concerns with the management of the Police Service”.
Asked if he told the group that he would fire Gibbs, Warner responded:
“I told the businessmen that I shared their concerns and I do share their concerns. At the end of the day they just want to feel confident that crime is being addressed,” Warner said.
“I am not saying that (fire Gibbs) may not happen. That may very well happen, but if it does, I did not say so at that meeting, but you could never tell,” Warner said.
