Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has underscored that public cooperation was critical in any investigation.
He emphasised too that lack of assistance on such front would undoubtedly impede Police work.
The acting Top Cop was at the time addressing the harsh criticisms levelled against the Police Force by a grieving mother over the perceived “slothfulness” in investigating the murder of her son.
Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine
Pinky Hutson’s 25-year-old son was killed in a murder-robbery on Mandela Avenue in early October.
He was shot and robbed of a gold chain while in the company of his brother outside Wings and Things eatery.
Hutson said she knew who the perpetrator was and has criticised the Police for failing to keep in contact with her on the investigation.
However, Ramnarine said that the mother’s story was far from the truth, explaining that when Police attempted to reach out to her, she refused to cooperate.
Ramnarine said when he saw the press report of the mother condemning the slow pace of the investigation, the Police once again reached out to her and she again refused to cooperate.
“When I saw the press report, I called the officer in charge of crime A Division… I told him to go to this mother’s home and invite her to the Police Station, speak with her in the presence of other detectives, tell her you feel her pain and you feel her loss and have her cooperate with us… The detective officer did just that, and informed me that the madam indicated that she will come at her own time,” he related.
Ramnarine said the detectives engaged with Hutson and she agreed to cooperate, but when they reached out to her, she said she was unavailable.
“Last Friday as the detectives were setting up, the mother who promised to come to the station at 10, said she is not ready to come and that she needs another two weeks. This is the same mother who blurted out to the press that the Police are too slow in the investigation,” he stated.
Ramnarine reiterated his call for the public’s cooperation in facilitating investigations.
