By Nalinee Seelal Friday, February 1 2013

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams held an emergency meeting on Tuesday with all Superintendents and Snr Superintendents of all divisions to discuss ways and means of devising new strategies to deal with crime in the country.

Sources revealed that the Actg Commissioner opted not to have his normal Executive Conference and instead summoned the senior officers to express his concern over what is taking place with respect to crime in the country.

According to senior police officers who attended the meeting the Actg Top CoP made a stirring plea to his senior officers to speak with their charges and come up with new anti-crime strategies to win the war against crime.

Newsday understands the Actg Commissioner focussed heavily on the increase in the spate of murders, especially in Laventille, and Beetham areas, and noted that something new must be put in place to put a dent on homicides.

According to sources the Actg Commissioner felt that the same old strategies being used were not reaping the desired results. He felt the time has come for new measures to be adopted in the coming weeks and months.

All the officers present at Tuesday’s meeting were given a mandate to come up with the new anti-crime measures which will then be discussed, and a decision taken on which of the measures should be adopted.

Newsday also understands that the Actg Commissioner has also directed that police maintain a round the clock presence in hot-spot crime areas, and continue to partner with the public as he embarks on his new thrust to deal specifically with certain types of crime.

Up until yesterday the murder toll for the year stood at 35, and homicide officers told Newsday that they have been getting little or no cooperation from the public in solving some of those murders.

Officers admitted that the detection rate for homicides was on the decline, because people were afraid to come forward and give information, especially where it involves gang-related killings.

Newsday also understands that the National Security Council will be meeting soon to discuss new strategies in the fight against crime, especially the spate of murders.