T&T HOMICIDE BUREAU CHIEF: DEPORTEES NOT MAJOR CRIME

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 001080 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, INL/LP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KCRM TD SUBJECT: T&T HOMICIDE BUREAU CHIEF: DEPORTEES NOT MAJOR CRIME SOURCE ¶1. In an extended interview with the daily Trinidad Guardian newspaper on September 12, Head of the Homicide Bureau, Assistant Commissioner of Police Maurice Piggott discussed many of the current shortfalls in T&T's policing efforts and the steps that the police force is taking to rectify the situation. In the interview, ACP Piggott corrected the widely held notion that criminal deportees from the U.S. contribute significantly to the rising crime rate in T&T. He noted that, while deportees do commit crimes "because that is their trade," they do not contribute in a major way to crime in T&T. He also noted that "very few" head gangs in T&T and that they generally commit more sophisticated crimes, such as those involving ATM machines-"That New York kind of thing." This response is so unusual to the prevalent thinking that the reporter's follow-up question was to clarify that ACP Piggott truly meant criminal deportees, and not deportees in general. ¶2. COMMENT: The criminal deportee issue continues to surface in the media and pervade the public consciousness. We find it refreshing that a senior police officer took the opportunity in a major interview to use facts to refute this misconception. ACP Piggott has been chosen to participate in the April 2007 IV program on U.S. foreign policy and counter-terrorism. Post recommends that the Department arrange a meeting with him while in Washington in order to further share information. END COMMENT. AUSTIN