ACTING Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob has described as, "a sad day for the country and a sad day for the police service," the arrest and charging of eight police officers for the 2020 murders of three men in Morvant.

Speaking on Tuesday on the TTPS' Beyond the Tape show on TV6, Jacob said, "It is really a sad day for TT and especially the Police Service when eight of our officers are charged on three counts of murder each."

He hastened to add, however, that, "You know, we have to rise above the occasion because this county is depending on us. It (the charges) will have a significant psychological, mental effect on other police officers when such situations like these happen, but we need to continue holding the reins and doing what is required."

He said, "This has happened at a time when the TTPS needs all hands on the deck to assist us in fighting the scourge of crime."

While the eight officers – Sgt Joseph Solomon, Cpl Charles Budri and PCs Vaughn St Cyr, Sean Lord, Mark Lewis, Sherwin Baptiste, Colin Furlonge and Jameel Mohammed – would have appeared virtually before a Port of Spain magistrate hours earlier on Tuesday, Jacob said, "We must always remember the presumption of innocence still remains under the rule of law. And it is up to the courts to adjudicate on this matter, where we will expect justice either way."

On the issue of trust and confidence in the police, Jacob said this is something that can go up and down depending on the circumstances, "But I think the general population is there to support the TTPS and they know the police service is a team of professional people who are trying to carry out their duties and provide the nation with the necessary security that is required."

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