President Anthony Carmona said yesterday he was depressed by the number of murders taking place in the country.
Carmona was speaking during a function he hosted for the St James Police Youth Club at his St Ann's office.
Many members of the club gave testimonies about the positive effect the club has had on their lives.
In his address, Carmona said he was being affected by the amount of murders taking place in the country.
He said he felt depressed, yesterday when he saw a newspaper report about seven murders in the past 12 hours.
"When I got up this morning I was down, I was down and out, because when I picked up the newspaper and I saw seven persons were murdered in 12 hours and I remembered the 16-year-old girl who was strangled and I remembered the two brothers in Laventille who were murdered."
He said he "thought about the families pain and anguish - something that I have experienced all my life because of the job that I have done. I have prosecuted killers. I meet the families of victims and I do not know what to say when they cry out for justice because justice is more than sending somebody to see them."
Carmona said he was privileged enough to meet mothers of accused persons who express deep grief for the actions of their sons (who committed the offence)."
But he said he had seen the ascendancy of the human spirit when mothers of victims forgive the one responsible for the offence. Carmona said he has always had a heart of "compassion, forgiveness, resilience and hope."
Carmona said citizens should display "mercy to those who pelt stones in your direction," adding that it was an important lesson taught by the great masters.
"We need to stand up and stand your ground in doing what is right and what you feel is right," he said.
"I can talk about crime. I can talk about solutions. I know solutions are there is hope for everyone," he added.
Also present at the event was temporary Independent Senator Nikoli Edwards, who told members of the youth club that they needed to be grateful for what they had and to also be determined at all times to be the best they can be.
Carmona said Edwards also suffered a great loss as his father, Hassan Atwell "was murdered." Atwell was one of three prisoners who escaped from the Port-of-Spain State prison on July 25, 2015 and later killed in East Dry River while on the run.