On Thursday, against the backdrop of two prison officers being murdered and a threat to kill 11 more before the year ends, the Prime Minister sought to assure prison officers and their families that this time, everything possible will be done to protect them.
On November 26 prison officer Trevor Serrette was killed at his fruit stall in Valencia. Three days later Nigel Jones was shot dead in front of his small daughter at a taxi stand in Siparia.
Both men worked at the Wayne Jackson Building (Building 13) at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.
On Tuesday night, a prison officer was shot at in Tunapuna. An off-duty policeman shot one of the attackers, who is now in hospital under police guard. The police officer was also shot in the gun battle.
One Tuesday morning nine men were held in Carapo in relation to the two murders. Another man, believed to be the getaway driver in the attack on the prison officer in Tunapuna, was shot and taken to hospital. Newsday was told he remains warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex and is yet to be interviewed by police.
The nine men are being interviewed by various units of the police, including the Homicide Bureau.
In a Facebook post on Thursday morning Dr Rowley said: “It must be correctly assumed by all that the Ministry of National Security will not surrender the nation's prisons, and the State will continue without ceasing to have TT remain a place where there is the rule of law and that there is adequate and effective law enforcement at every level so as to secure the peace and safety of all citizens.”
Prison Officers Association (POA) president Ceron Richards had already called on Tuesday for a meeting with Rowley and on Wednesday sent him a formal request.
[caption id="attachment_927671" align="alignnone" width="842"] Ceron Richards -[/caption]
“Prison officers are being slaughtered with impunity and national strategies must be urgently discussed/implemented to address this in the shortest possible time,” Richards wrote, adding that the attack on officers is the “barometer to the level of criminality being faced by everyday citizens.”
In his Facebook statement Rowley said: “We are very aware of the perils surrounding the duties of honest, hardworking prison officers and have taken note of the onslaught aimed at these officers of State. We will do everything possible to secure them and their families.”
Richards said he had no comment on Rowley's statement, as he and his executive are still seeking a meeting with him.
Prison officers in the past asked for priority in being issued with gun licences, and wanted special allocations from the Housing Development Corporation.
Speaking with i95FM on Thursday, Prison Commissioner Dennis Pulchan said he met with Hinds and other agencies to discuss protecting his officers and to investigate and “bring to justice those perpetrators who would have murdered my two officers cold-bloodedly.”
Newsday was told at least five prison officers have resigned since the murders of their colleagues.
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