Trinidad to hire international experts for Cold Case Unit
TRINIDAD - An International team of experts is being sought to form the T&T Police Service’s (TTPS) newest unit, the Cold Cases and Missing Persons Unit.
According to sources, the hierarchy of the TTPS led by Commissioner of Police (CoP) Gary Griffith is seeking to recruit experts in cold case and missing person investigations, cybercrime, and safety and security from the United States and the United Kingdom.
When contracted these experts will be officially enrolled in the TTPS as special reserve officers (SRPs). Under the Police Service Act, the CoP can recruit individuals who can enter the service as SRPs. In Guardian publication dated September 16, 2018, Commander Garvin Heerah, former head of the National Operations Centre and an expert in Homeland Security and Safe City Concept had said that T&T critically needed as a workable solution in dealing with the scores of missing perons cases that pop up almost on a daily basis and also to deal with cold cases. He had suggested a dedicated Missing Persons Unit (MPU) with specialist investigators. These types of investigations, Heerah had said, demand intense research skills and crime mapping (a recreation of crime scenes, in the case of cold cases) that warrants specialism and best practices. Many families were pleased to hear about plans for a dedicated unit to handle cold cases and to deal with missing persons.
Nia Naimool’s sister Zalima ‘Ashma’ Naimool, 32, of Tacarigua, went missing three years ago, on June 3, 2015. Naimool, who was picked up by a close male friend from Nia’s house, was not dropped back home by the individual as was normally the case. Niamool has not been seen since. Speaking with the T&T Guardian, Nia said that there are so many unanswered questions: “Initially, I always said I did not think the police did enough. Where the person said he dropped off my sister there were so many CCTV cameras around and I wonder why the police did not view the footages to see if it was really so.”
“Secondly, we were told that my sister and the same person were at a bar liming and I went to the bar and viewed the footage myself. I went and told the police and the police said they will go for it but I was told by the people in the bar that the police never came for it. I always wondered why the police left so many key things undone”, Nia added.
(Stabroek News)