Guarding the victims

WE UNDERSTAND the anxiety expressed by nurses attending to Lincoln Alexis, aka Salim Rashid, who lies in a critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. The nurses complain that "people in Muslim wear are coming and going, to and from the hospital," and they are not certain what could happen. In addition, they said, there are only two police officers posted at the Unit. It is only natural for the nurses to be nervous since Alexis, an expelled member of the Jamaat al Muslimeen, is the victim of an assasination attempt carried out by a gang of armed assailants at the Movie Towne complex on Wednesday night. To alleviate the fear which the nurses have expressed and to ensure that no one attempts to finish the Movie Towne job, we expect that the Police and the Mr Kenneth Doldron, Head of Security at the North West Regional Health Authority, will collaborate in an effort to provide adequate protection.

Mr Doldron admits that "it's not an easy situation to deal with." He said the nurses are fearful because "is shoot people shooting." Alexis was sitting on a metal bench in the Movie Towne complex together with Clive "Wolfie" Lewis, aka Adil Ghani, and Ghani's girlfriend Jillia Bowen, when they were attacked by a gang of four armed men in a motor car. As the vehicle pulled up alongside, the three were sprayed with bullets from semi-automatic weapons. Bowen died on the spot from a single bullet to her head. Both men were hit in their legs and lower torso but Alexis apparently got the worst of it. The incident at Movie Towne, a popular shopping, entertainment and dining complex on the western edge of Port-of-Spain, is the most brazen act of execution the country has seen since the flaring up of gang violence over recent times and must result in increased pressure on the Government and the Police to deal with the disturbing crime situation. In this regard, the security measures in place at the Port-of-Spain Hospital must be considered as important not only for the safety of the nurses but also for the protection of Alexis and Lewis who may well have identified their would-be assassins. Alexis is reported to be in a critical condition while Lewis, in another ward at the hospital, is said to be "serious but stable." We can only presume that the Police have already interviewed Lewis about the Movie Towne shooting and will do the same with Alexis if and when he recovers enough to talk. It is expected that both men will have a revealing story to tell and may well provide investigators with vital clues and information to help them solve this frightening crime.

Senior police officers say they are only responsible for guarding the ICU and Lewis, to whom only one officer is assigned, and that the hospital's internal security is in charge of visitors. However, we are told that all visitors are screened before entering the ICU department. Because of the seriousness of this crime, the boldness of the attackers, and the condition of Alexis, the authorities need to mount the strictest round-the-clock security at the hospital. In any case, is it normal practice to allow casual visitors to be "coming and going" at the ICU? Should not only close family members of the patients be allowed to enter, and strictly within certain hours of the day? Senior police officers point to a manpower problem in posting guards at the ICU, that a total of 12 policemen are required to maintain a 24-hour watch at the Unit. That may or may not be so, but the critical need to solve this case is too urgent and too vital to the interest of the country to let that be a problem. Adequate security must be provided for both Alexis and Lewis.