Businessmen: Charlotte Street overrun by bandits

OVER the last three months there has been an increase in criminal activities along Charlotte Street in Port-of-Spain, with between 15 and 30 daily reports of varying incidents. While not all have been reported to the police, owners of business places along the street say they have had enough. Yesterday they made it known that they need more police patrols and even a mobile police unit somewhere along the street. At a press conference at Fui Toon On Association on Charlotte Street, the newly formed Charlotte Street Vision 2004 committee members said they were risking a loss of business by revealing the escalating crime to customers, but they feared that the loss of Charlotte Street could mean the loss of the entire capital city.

President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA), Gregory Aboud, as a partner of the committee, said the situation “had reached a point of no return.” He said the struggle has been ongoing quietly in the background as they tried to work with the authorities away from the glare of publicity. But Aboud said it was foolish and downright stupid to protect the reputation of the city at the expense of customers. When Newsday contacted acting Mayor Rishi Lackhan, he gave the assurance there would be more police on the streets of the capital. Mayor Brown is expected to return on Saturday.