Head of the Northern Division ACP Wayne Mystar admits gangs are a problem in securing certain neighbourhoods, but has vowed to take immediate action by wresting communities from gangs.
Speaking with reporters during a community walkabout in Arouca on Friday, Mystar said eradicating gangs was one of the main priorities in the area.
He said in addition to patrols, searches and other anti-crime exercises, the walkabout was intended to restore the public's confidence in the police and build a better rapport with residents.
Referring to the precision policing strategy initiated by Police Commissioner Erla Christopher, Mystar said the police would gather intelligence on priority offenders and maintain a presence in communities where they were needed most.
[caption id="attachment_1006216" align="alignnone" width="951"] ACP Wayne Mystar of the Northern Division gives a bounce to six-year-old Kelyiah Raymond during a walkabout in Five Rivers, Arouca, on Friday.Mystar said the purpose of the exercise was to interact with the community and restore the public's confidence in the police. - Shane Superville[/caption]
He said that the police were determined to take back communities from criminals and called for the public's support.
"There is a challenge as it relates to gang activity, so we have been gathering a lot of intelligence to deal with the gangs in that particular area.
"This exercise is also to let the public know that we are reclaiming these areas that the gangs want to claim, and our main priority is to ensure that we bring security and safety to members of the community. So this is just the start of a lot of different things that we're going to be doing.
"Precision policing means paying attention to those high-priority offenders. It's not much, but we are gathering as much intelligence and evidence (as possible) so we can put together proper cases so we can put them before the courts."
The Arouca police station district is part of the North Central Division, which extends from St Joseph to Arouca.
The police Crime and Problem Analysis (CAPA) branch reported that there were 100 SRCs in Arouca between January 1 to March 16, 2023, compared to 101 for the same period last year.
From January 1-February 25, there have been 210 serious reported crimes (SRCs) there, compared to 236 for the same period last year.
Mystar said some of the crimes the police were most concerned about in Arouca were murders, woundings, shootings, robberies and car thefts.
Mystar and a team of almost 100 officers walked from the Arouca Police Station at Five Rivers Junction to the Five Rivers Government Secondary School, where he told teachers and principals about the continued commitment of the police to securing staff and students.
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Mystar said another focus would be to quell school violence, outlining a combination of hard and soft initiatives to reduce fights in and out of school.
[caption id="attachment_1006218" align="alignnone" width="1024"] ACP Wayne Mystar of the No
