COPS, ARMY AT FATIMA SHRINE SUNDAY

MORE than 200 policemen and soldiers will virtually line the hill leading up to the Laventille Shrine this Sunday when Roman Catholics begin, on Mother’s Day, the annual Fatima devotions which are held from May to October.

Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Crime, Oswyn Allard said yesterday that this would provide a sense of security for the thousands of worshippers from all over the country who make the annual trek from the bottom of the Laventille Hill, to the  Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima which stands atop the hill. Allard yesterday assured those who will be attending that they have nothing to fear from the gang warfare that has been terrorising the Laventille area since the police and army will maintain a heavy presence there from Sunday morning to night time.

Yesterday, Parish Priest of the Laventille/Morvant pastoral area Father Michael Cockburn who is parish priest of the Fatima church said that since the devotions will be held in the afternoon he does not believe that those who usually attend will be deterred by what has been taking place in Laventille. He added that the thousands of persons who come to the Fatima devotions at Laventille, arrive by buses and public transport and gather in large numbers, so he is not worried that anyone would be in danger, or be afraid to attend. He admitted yesterday that the church has not done enough to address the crime wave in Laventille, but added that plans are being made to see what contribution the church could make to help the situation. But he supported the proposed action of the police to flush out the criminal element in Laventille once it was done in a professional and humane manner, and did not involve even more violence.

Fr Cockburn, who has been the parish priest of Laventille/Morvant for the past five years, said that the time has come for a visible police presence in Laventille, and added that the police need to develop a closer relationship with the people so that a level of trust could be developed. He added that without trust the attempts by the police to put down crime would only bear fruit partially. The current crime wave which includes almost daily murders and shootings is a cause for concern and based on information that many are gang-related, he said. He said, however, that the effort to deal with crime starts in the home and parents have to do their part to mould their children from infancy. He said that the role of the church is also important in influencing families, and that discipline is also key to the solving of the problem. He added that community leaders in Laventille have been trying to work with the church to deal in some way with the situation. He said that a lot of young people are looking for quick cash and turn to a life of crime to achieve that.

“We in the church have not done enough, and are looking closely at what could be done,” he added. But while Fr Cockburn is expecting a large attendance on Sunday, lower down the Laventille Hill, Pastor Patrick Rondon of the Pentecostal Cathedral at East Dry River admitted yesterday that the crime wave in Laventille has affected the attendance at his church. He said he was forced to cut the time of services to accommodate worhippers who are afraid to be in the area at night. He added that even taxi drivers refuse to work in the area after a certain hour. He said that the church has embarked on a programme where ex-convicts who are now worhippers at his church, go into the communities and interract with the criminal elements in a bid to get them to change their lifestyle, and give their lives to God. “I believe that the police presence in Laventille is long overdue, especailly at a time when the situation demands that drastic action be taken. “If the authorities appear soft on crime then the criminals will continue to maim, murder and keep the Laventille area under siege. Police officers are on the alert for the “Baghdad” operation plan for Laventille which could take place at any time.