(Trinidad Express) Police have arrested and charged five “major players” of gangs operating in St Augustine, says National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds.
At the Parliament sitting on Tuesday, at the Red House, Port of Spain, St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen raised a motion on the adjournment of the House, in which she issued an appeal for the police and the minister to intervene and utilise data to find the root cause of criminality in her constituency, in particular, the Train Line, Freeman Road area where there has been a spate of murders.
In response, Hinds said the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) remains steadfast in its approaches and initiatives aimed at counteracting and suppressing criminal activity throughout the country.
Gang units have been established in every one of the ten police divisions across Trinidad and Tobago, and particular focus has been placed on Train Line, he said.
“The prolific offenders, the leaders, the very busy activists in that criminal enterprise are being targeted as prolific offenders by the police, to the extent that recently, five major players from the gang operating in there have been arrested and charged by the police for gang-related and other offences,” he said.
The minister said the police are focused on gun-retrieval exercises as he noted crime and violence are being treated as a public health issue.
“Hence the reason we have stepped up our housing programme to build family life in the houses we are providing in this country since 1961,” he said.
Social support
Hinds said various arms of the Government, from the Social Development Ministry, Education Ministry and Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, are dedicated to providing social support, especially to the youth.
He said citizens should be lending support to the police.
“Citizens shouldn’t be calling inmates in the jail before an election and inviting them for favours for political support. Citizens must not do that, and certainly not members of the Parliament,” he said.
Hinds said further that Ameen has a duty to report anyone she knows who is carrying a gun to the police.
“I would like to plead with her that she must give genuine support to the officers, to our efforts as a Government,” he said.
He said further that the Gang Reduction And Community Empowerment (GRACE) programme is designed to make communities more resilient to the advances of gangs, and the police are also working to keep children away from gangs.
“All that is missing is the parliamentary support and the emotional support of our friends on the other side who have a track record, it appears to me, speaking frankly, as protecting and supporting persons who are not imbued to good, civilised social behaviour, sometimes, Madam Speaker, even in the jail,” he said.
Ameen: Residents living in fear
In moving the motion, Ameen listed the number of people who have been killed in her constituency.
She noted that on January 24, 16-year-old Darshan Ramnath was gunned down, and on that same day, a “Mr Shah” was also murdered.
Ameen said the trauma in the community continued as on March 3, a mother, Aneesa Ramkissoon, 26, was gunned down in her home.
She said that on April 6, Daniel Riley, 21, was gunned down, his girlfriend was shot and their unborn baby died.
Ameen said that on April 26, Dillon Joseph, 30, was killed at the Caroni roundabout.
She said that a couple days later, at Joseph’s wake, Chris Pooran, 24, was killed.
She said that following this, Roger Maharaj, 42, was murdered.
“You see these killings happening back to back, and in the midst of it, several houses were burnt down and a vehicle was also burnt. You have murder, arson and residents living in absolute fear,” she said.
Ameen said she wrote several letters to the police and the National Security Minister appealing for help as people are fleeing the area.
She said there is a disruption in the services to this community as goods vehicles are afraid to deliver products and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are concerned about going into the area.
She said further that Government services are also affected because when constituents apply for grants, there is also fear in visiting their homes to verify information.
Ameen said there is a negative stigma on the community and claimed that children are being denied entry into primary schools because of where they live, and persons are also having difficulty in obtaining jobs.
She asked that a piece of land be identified in the St Augustine area to host the police youth group, which is currently using the St Augustine Community Centre.
Ameen said there has been an increased police presence in the area, but emphasised the need for sustainable measures in place to tackle the root of the situation and bring healing to the community.
She warned there can be revenge killings if the victims and their relatives feel that justice will not be delivered.
She called on the minister to collaborate with the necessary agencies to gather data and ascertain the causes of the crime and not rely on presumptions.
