Trinidad, CMC:
POLICE COMMISSIONER Trevor Paul has suspended vacation leave for all police officers and ordered them to report to duty yesterday, as Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement authorities grapple with a crime wave that has left more than 160 people dead so far this year.
While he said the suspension was 'normal', the recently appointed Police Commissioner said that it was nonetheless his way of "addressing the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago", by having most of his available resources at his
disposal.
"One way I can improve on what I am doing is to have more resources available to me," Paul said in a statement, adding "we realise now we have to do more than we are doing".
THE CALL
The announcement by the Police Commissioner comes amidst calls by the private sector and civic groups for the Patrick Manning administration to impose a limited state of emergency to deal with the crime situation here.
So far 166 persons have been murdered this year and there has also been a number of kidnappings.
In one of the latest incidents, a 14-year-old boy appeared in court in Couva in Central Trinidad charged with the murder of 18-year-old Shivanand Sookdeo, who was stabbed in the chest earlier this week.
Marlon Boodram appeared before Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan who adjourned the case until August 27.
