Too many guns in Laventille

“Too many guns in Laventille. That is why they are  killing off people,” said one concerned official.

The sentiment is one shared by many who are working to improve the now daily killings that take place in this area of the city.  Where are the guns coming from? The question, important in itself, is only one part of the concern, perhaps of greater concern, is the type of guns being used by the gangs. “They are no longer the make-shift, home guns of the past. Now, it’s sophisticated ammunition like we see in the movies,” a resident stated.

Sunday Newsday was told that an underground, black-market gun trade is flourishing as the gang/drug-related warfare continues in a fight for control over turf. Another source said the guns were coming in from Venezuela and other South American countries and are being traded just like drugs. Gang leaders have connections with importers and exporters. Sometimes, it was alleged even with the Coast Guard, who later provide the supplies. “That is why government has to beef up their abilities to man the coastlines because guns and drugs are coming in and destroying people’s lives,” the source said.

Not surprisingly, no one wanted to go on record in the matter, though many were willing to talk. One source agreed there is a burning need for a strong and efficient witness-protection programme, so the police would be able to crack-down on the illegal activities by protecting those who give information. But a senior police officer said the existing programme is adequate. “Life in Laventille, is like playing the game of Russian Roulette. Anyone can die at anytime,” said another official.

President of the Youth Forum of the Council of Elders, Laventille, Lennox Smith, lamented that despite all the work talented people of the area are trying to do to improve the situation, the crime problems continues at an alarming rate. While shooting incidents and killings dropped for a short period late last year, the problems started with a bang again in the new year. In the first week of January, an unemployed man and a father of three were gunned down in two separate shooting incidents, one at St Barb’s Road and another at Murlain Road.

On Wednesday last week, a former death row inmate and URP foreman, Rennie Paul, was gunned down on Pashley Street, Laventille. In the last quarter of 2003, the Elders had managed to put together peace treaties among gang members in the St Barb’s and John John areas. The Council of Elders has been around since the late 1950’s and comprise of persons over the age of 50, working together for the improvement of the community.

The younger persons of the Council form the Youth Forum. However, Smith admitted that the peace treaties were very brittle at this time, but they still remain optimistic that the problems can be resolved. He said the gangs are blaming each other for not adhering to some of the agreements. But Council Adviser, ‘Thunderbolt’ Williams, who has been credited as the main man behind the peace treaty, doesn’t feel the treaty is brittle. He explained that the uneven distribution of the URP and CEPEP projects was creating conflict and tension. “A hungry man is an angry man. What the people want are jobs and government is not providing enough for the people,” he said.

Williams added that they also needed training in trade and skills to keep them occupied, since many of the youths in the area become idle when they are unemployed. He called on the public not to blame the Elders when things go wrong, since they are trying their best to work with the people. “But you know, things happen and then they point fingers at the Elders,” he said. As to the question about the availability of guns in the area, Williams said: “I have no information about guns and if the people in the area have guns, they should get rid of them. If the guns are out there, the crime will continue to happen.” He said the Elders are willing to talk to the people to find out where the guns are coming from, but reiterated that they, (the Elders), do not want to be blamed or targetted if they receive any evidence.  

Smith agreed that there is a need for a “proper witness protection programme,” pointing out that it is the only way people would feel safe enough to give information to the police. “The people have information but they are afraid to talk and that is why we cannot see any improvements,” he said. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cellestine Richards said the police had some information and were working assiduously on the matter. Richards said the police were also baffled at how the guns were coming in. “There is an oath of secrecy among the residents that we are concerned about. We need to get to the community involved from a heart and mind perspective and we realise that they are afraid to speak,” he said.

Even though a senior police officer defended the existing witness-protection programme, Richards said there is a need for more resources, in order for people to have full faith and be able to speak without fear. He is calling on conglomerates and government to help the community, describing Laventille as a “timebomb slowly waiting to explode.”

Police presence not consistent say residents

“I don’t want to say anything,” said one female resident, her hands up in the air and her back immediately turned  away from us. This was the general reaction of the people when Sunday Newsday visited the neighbourhood last week. Laventille is a hilly district on the doorstep of  Port-of-Spain. It comprises several communities, spanning as far as the outskirts of Belmont, to Morvant and Malick, and includes the area through which the East Dry River runs. It starts at ground level and reaches far into the hills, connecting several mazes of traces and main roads. The view of the city from the highest of the hills is breathtaking.

Historically, Laventille was an escape and hide-away  point for run-away slaves in the early 19th century and later, several immigrants from the smaller islands of St Vincent and Grenada settled there. Even now, there are clashes among some of the residents from the different islands, who demarcate areas where only certain groups are allowed to settle. It is also the place from which the pan movement evolved — with names such as Tokyo and Despera-does and where one of the pioneers of the steelpan instrument, Winston Spree Simon lived.
People shied away from answering any questions, occasionally hiding their faces, afraid that any comments might put their lives in danger.

Despite an increased police presence over a period of time in the area, this has done little to stem the tide of violence in the hills. The fear among the residents was evident, one woman, her lips quivering as she tried to be brave said: “Yes, we are afraid, but what could we do?” she said. Several yards away on Pashley Street, she looked along with scores of other residents at the body of Rennie Paul who had been gunned down moments earlier, lying in the middle of the road. Another resident said: “Me? I just pray everyday and trust in God to keep me safe.” Even those who used to venture out occasionally, don’t do so as much as they used to as echoed by this resident. “I used to go out a lot and visit family, now, I stay home. I am afraid of stray bullets, so I stay far away from the hotspots,” she said.

In some areas which Sunday Newsday visited, residents said differently, maintaining that the shootings don’t affect them anymore. A resident of St Barb’s said: “I hear the shootings, but I get so accustomed to them, it don’t bother me anymore. Don’t let the killing and shooting bother you, is a nice area.” Smith said residents have reportedly lost faith in the police and army, pointing out that they feel more antagonised by their presence. “They tell tales of being harassed when the police make their patrols,” he said. Williams felt the police patrols were inconsistent and they needed to do them more often. “One minute you see them and will not see them again for a while. Do you know how many crimes can take place during that time?” he asked. Another resident complained that there was a police station in St Barb’s but many murders have occurred in the area, which has become a hotspot in recent times. Generally, the residents said they will feel safer if there were more police patrols and if the police are more co-operative with them.

No jobs but MP tell youths — ‘’Turn to God, not crime’’

“Many of them feel that people out there hate them and they get angry at the world, but they must be able to control that anger. They don’t have to kill and fight and hold so much hatred in their heart.” Laventille East MP Eulalie James, has called on the youths of her community, to turn to God instead of a life of crime, noting that many of the youths were the ones who end up being killed or killing. Speaking at her Ministry of Culture office, Jerningham Avenue, Queen’s Park East, Port-of-Spain last week, James, with pain and sadness etched in her face, said she was hurt about the crime situation in Laventille.

On the availability of guns among the gangs, she said that was a matter for the police to handle and refused to comment on the matter. She said the sad thing about the situation, was that many other youths have achieved, some succeeding to acquire highly professional careers. “When you hear about the deaths, we know they are young people who are misguided and who sometimes fall into the wrong hands, young people who I am of the firm belief can change, if they allow us to help them and know that there is a better way of  life and work towards a better future.” “Everything is about getting money to do what they want and to get it quickly but we try to tell them to do it the honest way,” she said.

The Minister said many times they came to her for help to get jobs, but she admitted the difficulties in supplying them with permanent ones. In the absence of available, permanent jobs, James said her constituency is doing its best to offer them skills training in trades or urge them to go back to school and get a proper education. “That is the crux of the matter, we don’t have enough jobs and URP is not for young people, they should not be satisfied with that at all,” she said. James said the youths had to understand that even URP and CEPEP are temporary jobs and will not always be available. But she understood the hurry to get any job, pointing out that a lot of the youths themselves have children to maintain. “Still, this is no reason for them to go out there and do something evil,” she said.

James noted that there were a number of churches in the area, saying maybe, now is the time for them to seriously turn to God. She appealed to the churches to reach out to the people since she believes once they have God in their heart, there is no way they will want to hurt people anymore. “We have to make sure the devil comes out and let God take over,” she said. In a recent Anger Management programme in the community, social workers counselled some of the residents, telling them it is alright to get angry, but they must be able to control the anger. “Many of them feel that people out there hate them and they get angry at the world, but they must be able to control that anger. “They don’t have to kill and fight and hold so much hatred in their heart,” she said.