Gibbs, Ewatski quit; Government committed to aggresively fight crime

File: Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs (right) and Deputy Commissioner Jack Ewatski

Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and one of his deputies, Jack Ewatski, have resigned. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the announcement in a brief statement to the nation Monday night. The resignations are effective August 7. Both men are Canadians.

File: Stephen Williams

It is expected that the Police Service Commissioner will appoint Deputy Commissioner Stephen Williams to act as commissioner. He was the number one choice for the top position when Patrick Manning was Prime Minister but Manning used his veto to block his appointment, saying he was not the right person for the job.

Persad-Bissessar said her government is committed to a frontal attack on crime, adding that dealing with the problem remains the number one priority. She said there is going to be a stronger and more aggressive attack on crime. "Good will prevail," she said.

She added National Security Minister Jack Warner will announce several new crime fighting initiatives over the next few weeks.

Persad-Bissessar said, "All necessary resources will be placed at the disposal of those reposed with the authority and responsibility of getting the job done quickly and effectively.” 

She added, “We are of the view that there is no room for failure nor patience for excuses but an abundance of gratitude await those who would become the heroes of our nation’s most bitter war on crime.

"No measure will be spared against those who seek to terrorise and brutalise our elderly folk, our women, our children and our men. 

"The national outrage has reached the stage where everyone agrees that stronger and more aggressive initiatives are required. We must channel this sense of outrage into an army of resistance involving every law-abiding citizen.

"Ours is the duty of hard action to be taken against those who wish to threaten public safety at any level and we will deal with them with the full force of the law."

She called on citizens to work with the law enforcement agencies. “We will work to create tactical and intelligence units of the joint services that will become the pride of law enforcement and the terror of the underworld. Together with you our citizens of Trinidad and Tobago we will emancipate ourselves from the burden of fear, from the burden of lawlessness and unbridled violence,” the Prime Minister said.