Shooting worries Chaguanas Chamber

“The shooting makes it clear that our country is on a downward spiral to lawlessness and criminals are so convinced that they are untouchable by law enforcement that they are emboldened into criminal activities in and around the houses of the law.

This situation must be brought under control now or our country could find itself facing a loss of citizenry not just to crime but to those fleeing the country in search of safer shores,” the release stated.

The release added that with the current state of the economy already undermined by oil money losses TT cannot afford to have crime and criminals so undermine society that its greatest asset, the people, are lost. “We certainly can ill afford to have businesses closing down because of fear of criminality, thus forcing more job losses and less expendable income for people to buy their basic needs.” The CCIC emphasised its deep dissatisaction at the manner in which the country’s crime situation is being managed and called for Government to place cameras along the roads of the Chaguanas borough and indeed along all roads, both primary and secondary as such equipment help in crime detection. “We are forced to question if the failure to introduce these cameras is indicative of a lack of commitment to ending the widespread criminality stalking our land.

And we expect that these cameras will not exist in a vacuum – they must be manned by trained personnel and linked to a network of police and law enforcement agencies so that there is some proactivity in the measure.

We MUST make greater use of the technology but technology is only as good as its handlers and so we urge better training for officers in handling expensive and sophisticated additions to the technological warfare on crime,” the Chamber said.

On the issue of the Government’s plans to set up a DNA Bank, the Chamber welcomed this initiative but wondered how the information will be used and how confidential said information will be kept. “We are convinced that the illegal possession of firearms is one of the principal causes of the prevailing criminality in Trinidad and Tobago and we would wish to see drastic steps taken to stop the widespread inflow of these arms and ammunition.” The Chamber said it was “well aware” of rogue elements in the protective service and it is time these elements be rooted out so that honest and committed men and women responsible for protection of the country can carry out their job in the best interest of all.