Minister gave no directive to stop giving out crime stats: Ag. CoP WIlliams

Stephen Williams: "I have received no such instructions."

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams told reporters Wednesday he has not received any instructions from National Security Minister Jack Warner to stop giving out crime figures. 

Williams said: “I want to assure the public that I have received no instructions from the Minister of National Security, which I heard referenced to as a gag on the police speaking on issues relating to crime and murders.

“I received no instructions from the minister on that and it is not a matter which the minister has authority to instruct the Commissioner of Police on. 

"I am making it clear, hoping that it would be crystal clear that I have received no such instructions,” he said during a media briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port-of-Spain.

Williams said he met with the minister on Tuesday afternoon and Warner "shared some concerns around the issue of dissemination of information on murders by the Police Service." He said it would be "improper" to publicly disclosed what was discussed.

However he said, “We in the Police Service have not taken any position to refuse to disseminate information to the public. We are under a legal obligation to provide statistics to the public and we will fulfil that legal obligation.”

Williams added, "The minister is responsible for giving policy directives to the Police Service, along with the Government, and all the policy directions he has given we will in fact be complying with those policy directions."