Erla admits plans to curb crime by June not being met

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Erla admits plans to curb crime by June not being met

Police Commissioner, Erla Harewood-Christopher has admitted that her June target date to stem the crime rate in T&T is not going according to plan.

Speaking before the Joint Select Committee on Wednesday, in response to questions from Independent Senator Paul Richards, Harewood-Christopher admitted that targets set out in her plan to arrest spiralling crime were not being met and that there have been increases in some crimes, including a 10 per cent hike in murders during the early part of her tenure.

Senator Richards, who is Vice Chairman of the JSC, asked the top cop on how close she was to her June time frame for a noted impact from her anti-crime strategies, which she had previously alluded to during her first JSC appearance back in February.

Harewood-Christopher said some marks have been missed.

She added: “For our 20 per cent reduction in murders, we are not able, so we are challenged here, we have a 10 per cent increase in murders. We have a 20 per cent reduction in violent crimes, our target is 20 per cent reduction in violent crime, right now we at a 15 per cent decrease.”

Regarding her plans to reduce motor vehicle larceny and improve the detection rate, the commissioner said: “A 10 per cent reduction in the larceny of motor vehicles, we have not been successful here, we just have a 1 per cent decrease, a 5 per cent reduction in fatal RTAs, we have a 15 per cent reduction. A 30 per cent reduction in murders, unfortunately we are at a 12 percent detection rate.”

“A 30 per cent detection rate for violent crimes, again we are only at 16 per cent and a 15 per cent of firearms seized right now, we have broken even with last year’s figure.”