Business group launches anti-crime initiative

Once again an appeal has come from members of the local business community for public support in alleviating the escalating crime situation in the country. This time, the Supermarkets’ Association of TT, the Arima Business Association and other business organisations from the East/West Corridor have asked that next Tuesday  be designated a Day of Solidarity to enhance awareness of the effect that crime is having on the country.

Speaking yesterday at the launch of this initiative, President of the Arima Business Association, Kendrick Sooknarine revealed that after a series of meetings between the ABA and members of the Supermarkets’ Association, it was decided that stronger initiatives should be taken to express concern about the current situation. “We all deeply regret the situation and are all concerned for our personal safety,” he stated. Expressing his concern for the welfare of kidnap victim, Tricia Suryadevera, who was abducted from her Princes Town business place on Monday, Sooknarine said, “We feel compelled to say something because silence is consent and there is no way we can just sit back and be silent about this matter.”

A plan of action, which was suggested for next Tuesday, includes wearing white to demonstrate peace and prayer and the closure of businesses for one hour between 3 pm to 4 pm. However, it was stressed that this was not mandatory but entirely up to the business community. It was also suggested that all drivers leave their lights on for the entire day and honk their horns from 3 pm to 4 pm. The organisations called on school principals, religious leaders and teachers to include the topic of crime in order to help students and parents understand that each person has a social responsibility to assist and help each other. They also asked that village councils and other NGOs, including neighbourhood watch and Vision on Mission  organise lectures on this day. They called on the entire nation to do whatever possible to reduce crime.

According to Indra Ojah-Maharaj, president of the Sangre Grande Chamber of Commerce, this was an initiative in which we as citizens of TT should get involved in if we “intended to make our beautiful republic a crime-free nation. “Over the last few years, we have seen an escalation in the number of rapes, robberies, murders and kidnappings,” she maintained, “the latter being the most frequent since some see it as a successful, thriving business.” She pleaded with the kidnappers of Tricia Suryadevera to “please have a heart. “There are several other ways you can make a living,” she asserted. She revealed that although crime in the Sangre Grande area has shown a decline, there were still one or two businessmen who had fled the country. “We are all watching our backs,” she stated. When questioned on the meetings held between members of the business community, the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security in July, Ojah-Maharaj was reluctant to disclose any information. However, she said the statistics were there to prove that certain things were implemented although there was still a lot of work to be done. She noted that the business community was expected to meet again with the Prime Minister sometime in the near future.