Business community wants permanent police post in the city

The mobile police post which was set up at the corner of Queen and Charlotte Streets, Port-of-Spain on Wednesday afternoon, will only be open to the public from 7 am to 7 pm on a daily basis. The post will be driven back to the St James Barracks nightly. On Thursday, Gregory Aboud the President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) welcomed the decision by the police to set up the post. “While it is not as desirable as a 24 hour presence, it is still far more desirable than no presence at all, and we are hopeful that once the authorities see the effectiveness of the initiative, it will be expanded to 24 hours,” said Aboud.

He said that checks with the officers at the new post revealed that it is proving to be very effective. Richard Lau, the co-chairman of the Charlotte Street Vision 2004 and Beyond, said that the police post at the corner of Queen and Charlotte Streets is a step in the right direction. He said that it is the first positive action he has seen since the short period of lobbying. Lau is hoping that the other authorities also respond to the call to clean up Charlotte Street by removing the rubbish, clearing away the drains and pavements. Senior police officers said yesterday that four police officers are assigned to the post on a daily basis. They are required to take reports of distress from members of the public and to also respond to crime.