I’M DISTURBEDGibbs, as murder toll climbs to 444
By Joel Julien
Story Created: Nov 24, 2010 at 12:41 AM ECT
Story Updated: Nov 24, 2010 at 7:11 AM ECT
COMMISSIONER OF Police Dwayne Gibbs says he hopes the recent spike in murders is just “an aberration”.
He made the statement after he met with Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain yesterday.
According to an Express tally, there have been 26 murders since last week Tuesday. On November 16 there were 418 murders recorded, according to an Express murder toll. The murder toll up to last evening was 444, just 14 less than last year’s tally at the same period.
Asked about the spiralling murder toll by members of the media yesterday, Gibbs described the sudden rise as “very disturbing”.
“That’s very disturbing for me. I don’t want to see any crime trend like that. I’m hoping those tragic crimes are just an aberration,” Gibbs said.
He said there had also been an increase in robberies and the Police Service is looking at getting a grasp of the problem as Christmas and Carnival seasons are approaching.
“We are looking at anything we can do to prevent those crimes from taking place and anything we can do to react in a more expeditious way,” Gibbs said.
Yesterday’s meeting with Chief Justice Archie and Chief Magistrate Ayers-Caesar, which lasted two hours, came days after Archie’s attorney, Gregory Delzin, wrote to Gibbs asking whether the CJ’s phone had been wire-tapped.
Two Fridays ago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told the Lower House that several public figures were being illegally monitored by the Strategic Intelligence Agency (SIA), which intercepted their e-mails and text messages and recorded their phone conversations. Among those listed as victims of SIA’s illegal wire-tapping were Archie’s predecessor, former chief justice Satnarine Sharma, his wife, Kalawati, and son, Shiva.
Gibbs, however, remained tight-lipped when approached by members of the media for a comment on the wire-tapping. He insisted yesterday’s meeting with Archie and Ayers-Caesar was planned from before in order to address “administrative issues”.
“We discussed administrative issues that we can work together to make our working relationship more compatible,” he said.
Also present at yesterday’s meeting were Deputy Police Commissioners Stephen Williams and Jack Ewatski.
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