Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, says neither he, nor the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), "reignited the Community Comfort Patrols (CCP)".
The Commissioner sought to clarify the matter In an official statement issued today, in direct response to a headline in a daily newspaper, “COP Griffith reignites 2014 CCP Initiative”,
Commissioner Griffith asserts the headline is totally inaccurate and that the TTPS did not make such a request, nor does it have the authority and the funding for such a project.
The top cop explains that the initiative as announced yesterday whereby four private security companies will patrol certain neighbourhoods for the next month—and which has since been cancelled—was a policy drafted by the Government.
“The TTPS carries out Government policy and we will make the best use of any policy to ensure that criminal elements do not use this period of the COVID-19 crisis to carry out their illegal acts,” the Commissioner states. “At the moment, the TTPS is responsible for carrying out the policy decisions made in the Regulations of the Public Health Ordinance, to ensure that citizens adhere to what is necessary as we fight this invisible virus.”
He added: “Our officers are on the frontline as we ensure that there are no breaches to the regulations. As you would note, there was cause to arrest and charge three bar owners for operating their businesses despite the enforcement of the Regulations. Although there is a list of non-essential businesses, we are still seeing too many people on the roads, many of whom really have no business being out there.”