Chamber wants zero tolerance on crime

In a statement, the chamber called on the Government “through the national security agencies - to use every available human and technical resource to effectively and efficiently stem the already high incidence of homicide and serious crime altogether.” It said it categorically denounced the “cowardly acts of injustice against members of the business community and, by extension, everyone who has had their right to safety and security trampled upon by perpetrators bent on disrupting the lives of ordinary citizens.” The chamber said that “immediate action is clearly warranted to maintain law and order in our beloved country in the face of a creeping sense of hopelessness.” In addition, the business body pledged its support and said that as “a national stakeholder in all key issues directed at the sustainability of our economy and the security and well-being of our people” it stood ready to assist.

The statement said that over the past week the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago have had to endure the painful and sobering reminder that crime continues unabated in the country.

It said that while this is nothing new, from time to time a “particularly heinous act of criminality forces those of us who live and work here to collectively and vociferously voice our outrage.” It said citizens came together to do just that this weekend at Mandela Park in St. James. It added that in a release dated September 2, the chamber fully supported the “commendable efforts” of the Government and the Opposition as they pledged to employ a collaborative approach to fighting crime. However, it said that since then it appeared that there has been little or no meaningful change except for a sharp escalation in the number of disturbing incidents which was compounded by the continued low detection rates of les than 25 percent.