Trinidad: Frightening increase in domestic violence cases, as families stay home

There has been a spike in the number of domestic violence cases in the country and Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith is warning perpetrators.
“This is no longer business as usual. That because of the establishment of unit, especially where we have stay at home orders, it is not that you can do what you want in your home and expect that nothing will happen”, he said. “To those individuals who commit such acts, you would continue to have a stay at home order, but it may not be at your home.”
At Thursday media briefing, Griffith said the number of cases of assault by beating reported for the last three months have already doubled the number of cases reported last year.Overall in 2019 there were 232, while this year 558.
In February 2019 there were 39 reports, but this year there have been 73.
In March 2019 there were 42 reported cases, while this year is 96.He noted that this escalation in reports was a world-wide trend where stay at home measures were implemented.
Griffith added that the spike could also be attributed to victims’ increased trust in the TTPS and therefore reporting more incidents.
THE CoP said that the pool of police officers to patrol and carry out operational duties have been bolstered by drawing from other departments as communications, legal, white collar crime, victim and support, police band, Interpol, Homicide, and tactical within the TTPS to be placed on operational duty.
He reminded victims of the hotlines 555, and 999 to contact the police for help.
“Do not wait until it is too late. Use the opportunity to contact the TTPS so that you would not be a fatality”, he said.
Griffith said that the TTPS were also trained paramedics and first-aiders, and will lend assistance when required.
 
(Trinidad Express)