Police in the Homicide Bureau of Investigations said that while they are committed to their duties, they are facing challenges in terms of workload as the murder toll continues to rise over the weekend.
The Homicide Bureau of Investigations is the unit of the police charged with investigating murders and suspicious deaths.
It consists of three regions, with Region I covering every area between Laventille and Chaguaramas with an office in Tobago, Region II covering areas from Morvant to Matelot and Region III covering Central and South Trinidad.
The murders of Kareem Quashie in Morvant on Saturday night together with Ruben Subar and Akil Nesbit in Caroni on Sunday morning and the murder of Nicholas Gajadhar in Marabella on Sunday afternoon brought the murder toll to 505.
Speaking with Newsday on Sunday, homicide officers said the sheer volume of murders and the stress of the job placed their mental health under strain. The officers, who wished to remain anonymous, called for their concerns to be addressed.
One of the officers added that there was need to ensure that working facilities were up to mark to allow for maximum productivity.
"We don't normally complain and we try to be focused but the burden is beginning to affect some officers.
"The investigators and the crime-scene investigators see death in its many forms on an almost daily basis.
"The civilian (staff) who support our work at the offices are also exposed to a measure of secondary trauma so I think there ought to be mandatory debrief with a reputable psychologist and compensation or allowances."
Another officer said there were several challenges in having facilities that could adequately support the work of homicide detectives.
"The Region III office is outdated and cannot properly accommodate the team there.
"We don't have a conference room, no briefing room, no parking, officers' cars are wrecked or, in one case a few months ago, an officer's car was stolen."
The officers said while they felt the Commissioner of Police was doing his best to alleviate their challenges, they also felt progress could happen at a faster pace.
Responding to Newsday via WhatsApp on Sunday, secretary of the TTPS Social Welfare Association W/Insp Nathalie John acknowledged that while officers would be stressed from the spate of murders, she called on all institutions and the public to support the police in their fight against crime.
"501 murders are plenty and a stressful situation for homicide officers and all officers on the whole.
"This figure should also be very distressing for all citizens of this country Trinidad and Tobago.
"The association stands ready to support all our officers including those attached to the Homicide Bureau of Investigations in addition to the executive of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. We support them 100 per cent.
"However, this fight is not and cannot be a police fight alone. This fight involves all of us – you and I – and needs all hands on deck. All the different ministries, arms of national security
