Since 1990 - 17 prisons officers, 24 police officers murdered

By Nalinee Seelal, Tuesday, November 3 2015, Source

NOT even officers of the law are safe from criminals and killers.

Statistics compiled by Newsday librarian J’aien Barnes have shown that for the past 25 years, from 1990, 17 prisons officers and 24 police officers have been murdered in this country. Most of the officers were killed by gunshots and in the case of the majority of prisons officers, the murders were ordered from behind bars, sources said.

Several of the officers who were killed have been accused by inmates of encouraging violence against them while in one incident the officer who was murdered was accused of interfering in the relationship between a prisoner and his wife.

Yesterday, Homicide Investigations Bureau detectives told Newsday that many of the investigations against prisons officers have not gone cold but the evidence needed to cause prosecution has not been easy to achieve, therefore many of the suspects continue to remain behind bars and not be charged with any of the offences.

Yesterday, Prisons Commissioner Sterling Stewart held an emergency meeting with members of his Executive to discuss the murder of their colleague, Superintendent David Millette who was gunned down yesterday morning inside his car outside his Morvant home.

Following the meeting, Stewart told Newsday, “time and time again we are not allowed to carry out our lawful and legitimate duties.

In too many cases under the veil of threat and intimidation, we continue to function in a most volatile environment as we seek to perform our duties and prepare offenders for their return to society, as law-abiding citizens. “I continue to motivate my Correctional Officers to stand firm in the belief that what they are doing will redound to the transformation of lives, as we prepare those that are in our institutions to return to society as law-abiding citizens.

It is with deep regret that I confirm the killing of one of the senior officers of the TT Prison Service, Superintendent David Millette.

“As Commissioner of Prisons, I send deepest condolences to his family and to his colleagues in the prisons service.

This shooting ‘concretises’ the stand that prison officers of all ranks remain under attack by nefarious elements in society and highlight the lack of protective measures for staff.” Stewart said in their attempt to protect society, they are left vulnerable.

“While we stand in the gap we present ourselves as targets to those who are adverse to change and development.