Chaguanas Mayor wants new closing time for bars

“We discussed matters on how we can make the community peaceful and one of the proposals is the closing hours of bars, and what we decided is to continue that conversation with the bars, with the community, so like 2am, the bars could close and that would help in terms of family life,” Mayor Boodhan said, adding, “and this is where the community comes in to assist in the fight against crime.” “It is a proposal, we don’t have any authority to say the bars should close 2am or 3am or what but what we are saying is it came out as an idea and people are looking at it, they would have their say on it, then we could do it on an experimental trial basis.” Boodhan noted that the issue of illegal street vending was also discussed saying the need for additional municipal officers was needed to compliment the present force of four municipal police officers.

“Areas such as street vending was also discussed and would also like to get additional municipal police to clear the streets because street vending is illegal and some elements disguise as street vendors to commit crime on the streets so we need additional policing,” he said.

“I am asking that the government hold strong to their manifesto promise which state that every regional corporation have 100 municipal officers so far we have 4 officers and we get very limited or close to zero from the 4 municipal police officers. And if they cannot give us the 100 officers, give us a quarter, give us 25 officers, and we will do the street vending we will also do community policing,” he said.

Boodhan also pointed out that indiscriminate parking seemed to be the order of the day as there were ample parking spaces within the borough. “A wrecking service in the Borough of Chaguanas would help deal with congestion mainly in the town centre because how Chaguanas is structured, you have one main street and you have a lot of indiscipline as it relates to parking. People just want to park anywhere and conduct their business and this can no longer be tolerated.

We have a lot of parking, both paid and free, so the question of parking space is not an issue, the issue is indiscipline,” he said.

He said the inter-agency task would continue its community meetings with the police, councillors and religious organisations to, “hear as many views on how we can curb the crime and the criminal element.”