Members of the business community and civil society are expressing confidence in acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams. However they do not seem completely comfortable with his claim that there has been a reduction in murders in the last four months of the year.
Williams, in a T&T?Guardian report yesterday, said murders had decreased from September to December. He described the decrease in serious crime as "phenomenal" and the drop in murders as "significant."
The claimed reduction comes right after the top cop took over the job from Canadians Dwayne Gibbs and Jack?Ewatski, the former CoP and deputy CoP respectively who resigned in July after much criticism of their handling of the police service which was compounded by a spiralling crime rate.
But Kirk?Waithe of activist group Fixin T&T said: "I think he's right. The murder rate seems to have slowed. The road fatality statistics are a bit lower, as well." Waithe believes this is the result of more positive policing activity under Williams. "We are seeing a much better management of the police service under Williams than his predecessor. I have a lot of confidence in?Williams. I think he understands the police service."
"However, what people should be really focusing on, instead of statistics, is fixing the public's perception of its sense of safety and security," Waithe said. "People want to know if they report a matter to the police, they can trust police to handle it efficiently," he said.
"For example, an officer still cannot issue a speeding ticket because he does not have equipment to measure it scientifically. Police commissioners have been making recommendations to legislators for decades," Waithe said.
Catherine Kumar,?CEO of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, also believed Williams. She said the chamber had a meeting with the acting CoP two weeks ago and he reported the same statistics showing a reduction in murders over the last four months.
"You can't dispute statistics," she said. "While the crime situation may not look as positive as the statistics would lead us to believe, initiatives have been put in place that are making a positive impact. "It takes a while for the business community and the public to feel this impact," Kumar noted, adding there are other anti-crime initiatives coming.
She said the added initiatives that affected crime centred on the use of technology, such as a GPS tracking system and cameras. Taran Singh, president of the Tunapuna Chamber of Commerce, said he had confidence in Williams but noted that statistics could be manipulated.
"I think the police service is heading in the right direction under the new commissioner. The police, obviously, maintain statistics. But, in our own estimate, the murder rate is still too high, given the size of the population.
"The police is very particular about what's a murder and what's not. But in our estimate, a murder is a murder. A ten per cent reduction is not a reduction. We need a 60 per cent reduction." Singh said his chamber also had meetings with Williams over the last few months and saw guns coming off the streets with new initiatives. He said the police still needed to step up their game and be extremely vigilant and consistent.
"It's not just murders, it's the kind of murders we are seeing now. They are mutilating people and we are seeing younger people carrying out the crimes." Opposition MP?Dr Amery?Browne does not believe Williams' statistics reflect the reality of the crime situation. Browne, MP?for Diego Martin?Central, did not agree with Williams that murders had decreased.
"It appears that the ministry of national?security and senior persons in law enforcement continue to play with statistics, when the reality in our communities is very sobering. "There seems to be an effort to redefine the focus of public concern and placate our fear by the selective focus on certain crimes."
He said this did not give confidence because it suggested decisions could be made not on the realistic examination of evidence, but on what might be pleasing to the ears of senior government officials." Acting CoP Stephen Williams' murder figures
•For 2012 up to December 26-372
•For 2011 up to December 26-348
(there was a three-month State of Emergency and curfew in 2011)
•For 2010 up to December 26- 466