Gary: Technology helped us to reduce kidnappings for ransom

Senior Reporter

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Former police commissioner Gary Griffith said the use of technology helped significantly in reducing kidnappings for ransom while he led the police service.

Griffith spoke with Guardian Media in response to Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro saying there was no increase in the offence following the kidnapping and murder of livestock farmer Vishnu Lalla, who was found murdered on Sunday, despite a ransom being paid.

According to the TTPS website, up to September, there were five kidnappings for ransom reported, with the same number for the corresponding period in 2024. Last year ended with six reported kidnappings for ransom.

Griffith, who led the police service from 2018 to 2021, said one major issue was police involvement in criminal activities, leading to the formation of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT), which had its own intelligence-gathering unit to circumvent information being given to criminals.

“There were 12 consecutive kidnappings that took place after that (SORT formation), and they were able to pinpoint the kidnappers, pinpoint where it is that they had the victim, rescue the victim and apprehend the kidnapper. That never happened before. So there were 12 consecutive situations like that from the Natalie Pollonais situation, go all the way up and because of that, the deterrent was now there and that is what put a virtual end to kidnappings for ransom. Unfortunately, because of political pettiness, the Special Operations Response Team was shut down.”

His predecessor, Stephen Williams, said kidnappings for ransom was not a major offence during his tenure from 2012 to 2018. He said there were other offences which took centre stage, such as gun-related offences, including murders.

“We didn’t have to create a special arrangement for kidnapping because it was not a matter of a challenge during my tenure. Gun violence was a problem. We dealt with that in the past as well. Homicide and violence was a problem. And then we had different approaches that we used to take for those things.”

A senior police officer who worked with both past commissioners and asked not to be identified said while kidnappings for ransom was a major concern in the early 2000s, the sharing of information among police units helped reduce kidnappings for ransom significantly.

He added that units such as the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Crime and Problem Analysis Branch, Research and Analytical Unit and the Cyber Crime Unit played a crucial role in addressing the offence. Additionally, the then Special Anti-Crime Unit of T&T (SAUTT) also contributed to the reduction in kidnappings for ransom.

Kidnappings for ransom over the years

2013: 3 2014: 3 2015: 4

2016: 3 2017: 6 2018: 20

2019: 8 2020: 1 2021: 1

2022: 2 2023: 3 2024: 6

2025: 5 (up to September)