High Praise for Sangre Grande

Starting with the Corporation, under the stewardship of Chairman Martin Terry Rondon, the Corporation has performed above and beyond, despite a severe shortage of funding. The Chairman, Councillors, Aldermen and Staff of the Corporation have all come together to provide yeoman service to the community in 2016, as has been seen in the past. I sincerely congratulate the men and women of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation for their dedication to service and look forward to this being continued in 2017.

It is no secret that the Sangre Grande Hospital might just be the top-performing Hospital in the country.

Quite often there are letters to the editor in various newspapers outlining the wonderful service and work of the Doctors, Nurses and Staff of the Sangre Grande Hospital.

I would like to echo these sentiments and encourage these health care providers to continue their good work and to keep the flag flying high.

In the past few weeks, on an almost daily basis, different parts of the country seems to be afflicted by the devastation of a building being destroyed by fire, whether intentionally so by the criminal element, or accidentally.

In June, my family and I had the same unfortunate experience. The Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service came to our aide in a timely, courteous and professional manner. Sangre Grande, Tunapuna, Piarco, Arima and even Port of Spain Fire Stations responded to this massive fire in the town centre, and while our building was destroyed, it was the effective work of these officers that saved the neighbouring buildings.

I would like to offer congratulations and kudos to the hard working men and women of the TT FS and I expect to see even better performance in the coming 2017.

Last but certainly not least, the TT PS. Despite the country being plagued by crime on a daily basis and of all sorts, the Sangre Grande Police remain vigilant, dedicated and especially integrated into the community, suppressing the criminal element. It is my understanding that the Division has the most impressive statistics regarding murders and detection. During the year, there was a noticeable and impressive Police presence throughout the area especially in the town centre. This has made a significant difference in the community, as people feel a sense of safety and security when conducting their daily business. The officers of the Sangre Grande Police Station continue to make their presence felt by requesting monthly meetings with the Business Community, the last for the year being held on December 19th at the station.

Another impressive feature of these officers is the courtesy and care with which their duty is exercised.

I am of the opinion that this attempt to bridge the gap between Police and civilians is a commendable one and will certainly assist in the fight against crime by restoring the faith of citizens in the Police service. I commend the TT PS for their dedication and hard work in the Division and look forward to the TT PS working together with citizens in 2017 to continue this effort in securing our nation.

SANJIV BOODHU Sangre Grand