Calls for police post in Laventille

Newsday spoke to several residents who said that they were living in fear following the murders.

One resident who gave his name as Shurland claimed that many of the criminal elements in Laventille are outsiders fleeing arrest from other parts of the country.

“Laventille was quiet up until a few weeks ago.

A lot of these people doing the killings are coming from outside the community and are making it a living nightmare for us who have lived here for years.

We really need the intervention of the police at this point,” he said.

Speaking at the TTPS weekly media briefing yesterday, Ag ASP Michael Pierre said that while he was aware of the plight of Laventille residents, there were no immediate plans for a permanent police post.

He revealed that the Police Service intends to intensifying patrols and exercises in the Laventille area as evidenced by a pre-dawn raid yesterday in East Port-of-Spain which resulted in the arrest of 20 people.

“There is an Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) base in the Laventille area already and on Duncan street.

There are also constant around the clock patrols, even now there is a large police exercise ongoing in that area.

We have already intensified our patrol system in Laventille and we will continue that way.”