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The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service says it will treat as priority an intelligence driven approach to its work.

This as Police Commissioner Erla Harewood Christopher tells of initiatives and objectives being undertaken by her executive to deal with crime.

Commissioner Harewood Christopher was speaking during a breakfast meeting hosted by the Chaguansas Business Chamber on Wednesday morning.

She listed the objectives of the police service.

Commissioner Harewood Christopher also said there is now a greater effort in getting rid of illegal guns.

The Police Commissioner also vowed to take out rouge officers in the service.

She said despite the challenges her officers are working hard at securing the lives of people in this country.

The local Roman Catholic church relaxes COVID-19 restrictions in time for major feasts.

A release from the Archdiocese of Port of Spain says after careful consideration the church has decided to relax or modify certain restrictions that were introduced in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It says as the celebration of some major feasts such as Easter, Pentecost and Corpus Christi draw near it considers it timely to make the following adjustments to its COVID-19 guidelines.

Among the changes is the wearing of masks at church, which the Archdiocese says is totally up to the discretion of those in attendance.

Minister of Finance Colm Imbert says the tax amnesty has been extended to May 19th, 2023.

In a release last evening Minister Imbert says this is to give businesses and individuals more time to prepare their financial statements.

He says it is also to finalise the necessary documentation to submit their tax returns and pay the taxes due for the year of income 2021 and prior years.

In a release he says to date, the original target of $500 million from the amnesty has been exceeded, which has assisted the government’s cash flow to a significant extent, especially during a time of declining oil and gas prices.

Pediatrician Dr. Joanne Paul says there is no need for panic as hospitals see an increasing number of children with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.

The pediatric specialist says the ailment goes away within days.

Yesterday Dr. Paul could not give details about the number of cases at schools but she insisted this is not a crisis.

The Ministry of Education has confirmed cases at a school in the south and another in the north.

Dr. Paul is telling parents and guardians to bring back some of the COVID protocols in order to avoid spread of the disease.

She was on The Morning Show on i95.5fm yesterday.

Police Commissioner Erla Harewood Christopher calls on the people of this nation to invoke the help of their supreme beings in order to deal with the crime situation.

Yesterday the top cop said an evil hangs over the land.

The Commissioner was addressing members of the Chaguanas Chamber at a breakfast meeting.

It was her first public engagement since she got the job.

In her bid to quell the increasing concerns about the murders and other gun crimes Mrs. Harewood-Christopher called for a united front.

But she also said the police cannot stop the murders.

Commissioner Harewood-Christopher also stood by an earlier commitment to reduce the murders by June this year.

She insisted her officers are working very hard.

There are now 2 new murders in east Trinidad.

In the latest incident the victim has been identified as Ricardo Alexander.

Reports say that incident took place at St. Thomas Street at around 10:30pm last night.

Newscenter 5 understands Mr. Alexander was at his home when several explosions were heard.

The police were called to the scene.

When lawmen arrived they found the body of Mr. Alexander bleeding from gunshot wounds.

He died at the scene.

And minutes earlier in Sangre Grande, Stephen Saroopsingh became another victim of gun violence.

He was killed at Damarie Hill at around 10:15pm.

Police found the body of Mr. Saroopsingh bleeding from gun shot wounds.

He was taken to a nearby health facility where he was pronounced dead.

The police service confirms that so far this year there have been 121 murders compared to 111 for the same period last year.

The Industrial General and Sanitation Workers Union says the authorities must take blame for the fatal accident.

Union President, Robert Benacia says poor management at the country’s landfills has become commonplace.

Mr. Benacia also says landfills are a thing of the past yet this country continues to operate them.   

In June and September of 2022, two workers Victoria Nelson and David Charles were killed following accidents at the Guanapo and Forres Park Landfill.

The man crushed to death in an accident at the Beetham Landfill has been identified.

He was 19-year-old Tristan Harripersad.

Mr. Harripersad was a former student of the Couva West Secondary.

Newscenter 5 understands that the incident happened around 8:40am yesterday morning.

Mr. Harripersad, an employee with Central Equipment Rental, was removing a tarpaulin from a company’s dump truck.

Reports say Mr. Harripersad fell off the truck and into the path of a passing vehicle and he was crushed to death.

The police and the Emergency Health Services were notified and Mr. Harripersad was pronounced dead at the scene.

Work at the dumpsite was halted as a result of the accident.

Investigations are now ongoing.

The tragedy is engaging the attention of the Solid Waste Management Company Limited.

Speaking with Newscenter 5 yesterday Acting Chief Executive Officer Ria Ramdeen described the accident as very unfortunate.

Ms. Ramdeen also assured measures are being taken to minimize accidents at the country’s dumpsites.

Education Minister Dr. Nyan Gadsby Dolly confirms 2 cases of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease at 2 schools.

Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children.

Symptoms include sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet.

Yesterday the Minister said 2 infections were reported during the term.

She said the cases were detected at one school in the south and another in the north.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association, Martin Lum Kin said he had heard of development.

Mr. Lum Kin could not say how many cases were recorded thus far.

He said TTUTA was still trying to get a figure.

However, he said protocols are in place to prevent infection.

There is no specific treatment for Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

However, frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who have Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease helps to lower the risk of infection.

Minister Gadsby-Dolly says it is not unusual to have a few cases in schools from time to time.