Crime highest in Northern Division

PARLIAMENTARY Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Anthony Roberts, said for the past two years the Northern Division has recorded the highest number of serious crimes in Trinidad and Tobago. Statistics show there were 3,367 serious crimes in 2001 and 3,440 for 2002.

Roberts revealed this when he addressed a pilot project, “Save Our Community”, organised by the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation at the Five Rivers Junior Secondary School last weekend. Roberts said disintegration of the family was chiefly responsible for the rapid increase in crime. “A truly solid family foundation can withstand the rigors of negative temptation. Fathers must understand that they have a significant role to play in nurturing their offsprings. “The role of the family is also of paramount importance in the process of positively reorganising our treasured youths.”

Roberts noted that 50 percent of all crimes are drug-related and said it was absolutely necessary to make it extremely difficult to access illegal substances. Chairman of the Corporation, Patricia Mejias committed herself to drugs and crime control. “We will continue to stand by you and the people in the region, in the support of our common goals,” she said, adding that the war against drugs, crime, corruption and kidnapping required close cooperation among all members of the community.