Seukeran wants answers from police on fire

San Fernando West, MP Diane Seukeran has questioned the absence of officers from both the San Fernando City Municipal Police Service and the San Fernando Police Station during two separate fires a stone’s throw away from both stations on Friday night. The two fires destroyed a building complex on Chancery Lane and a clothing and shoe store on Short Street. In a media briefing on Saturday a visibly tired Seukeran, called for an investigation into the “unique” series of coincidences which resulted in a breakdown in communication between the head of the Fires Services (Southern Division), and members of the San Fernando Police Service.

“When I arrived on the scene, there was not a single officer from the San Fernando police Station or the City Police and I later learnt that the telephones were down at the station during the fire,” she said. She said it was after supplying the mobile number of the head of Southern Division to fire officers were they able to make contact with officers at the station. “There is no reason for both stations to be out of contact during such an event as this, especially during this season when one would have thought there would have been additional foot patrols in the City,” she said.

Seukeran said police officers from the E-999 rapid response and the Marabella Station instead responded to the fire and were instrumental in defusing a potential riot at the Short Street fire. She said what was “particularly odd” was the proximity of the San Fernando Station to the fire at Chancery Lane and the City Police headquarters to the fire at Short Street. “The entire area was engulfed in smoke and yet there was no response from either stations,” she said.