According to reports, Keino Barnum was driving his red-coloured Nissan Note car along Furness Withy Street, off Erica Street, when the driver of a white vehicle opened fire on Barnum’s car. The front seat passenger jumped out of the vehicle and ran away but Barnum was struck multiple times.

Nearby residents alerted police and Barnum was rushed to the Post-of-Spain General Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A party of officers from the Homicide Bureau went to the scene and cordoned off the area.

Police are hoping to utilise surveillance footage from the area to assist them in identifying the killer

Amid reports that members of this community are being targeted by criminal elements, a special report in yesterday’s edition disclosed even more worrisome causes for concern.

There has long been suspicion that homophobic attitudes have hindered the arms of justice in cases involving LGBTQI persons.

But the account of one police officer, quoted in the report, is alarming confirmation that this is a substantial matter yet to be arrested.

The officer said a homophobic attitude has been alive and well for decades throughout the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

He said officers, especially male officers, do not want gay people around them and further reported several instances in which gay men were told to leave police stations even before they could make a report, possibly sending them to their deaths.

Even if a report is taken, the officer said, it would be accompanied by victim blaming or shaming so that the victim was made doubly reluctant to take action when falling prey to criminals.

Other times, he said, police simply ignore cases, refusing to investigate them because an LGBTQI person is involved.

But this scandalous problem does not appear to reside only within the Police Service.

Even when matters are brought to court, bizarre legal provisions allow persons who have committed hate crimes to cite the victim’s sexuality as a defence.

In a reference to the so-called provocation defence, the officer reported that magistrates or judges easily accept the “gay panic” defence. “The defence is always the same,” he said.

Said the officer: “They come around me with that macomere thing and I trip. You pick up a man, he buying drinks and food for you whole night, and two o’clock in the night he says, ‘Hey, leh we go home by me.’ You gone home by the man and then you get gay panic in the man room? And the court accepts it very easily and the prosecution doesn’t force it.” Thus the issue of LGBTQI equality is not merely one of reforming existing homophobic statutes (there are many, ranging from the Equal Opportunity Act, the Immigration Act, and various sections of the statutes relating to sexual offences) but also the need to devise more robust policies resulting in greater levels of training and sensitization as well as modification of common-law defences.

But for now we salute the actions of NGO groups such as Womantra, Friends for Life, the Silver Lining Foundation, I Am One, the Women’s Caucus of TT, and CAISO (Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation), as well as individual activists such as Jason Jones for taking steps to raise the profile of these issues.

A grouping of these organizations has also decided to help members of the LGBTQI community arm themselves with strategies needed to cater for the increased levels of risk they may face.

Colin Robinson, president of CAISO, notes, “The police and society are not friendly to us, so the kind of support that other people might have, we don’t have. There is a cost for us even to report a crime. Sometimes when we do, we lose because we lose the support of family when we are outed.” There must be greater sensitization.

But also, the State has a moral duty to punish severely those who target any section of society. It cannot hide behind the discriminatory biases of constituents when it comes to protecting the human right to life

Batting first, Merry Boys were undermined by the brilliance of Mollon who took six wickets for 50 runs from 16.4 overs to be bowled out for just 152. Spinner Jyd Goolie had three for 28.

Merry Boys opener Mario Belcon struck a defiant 63 from 103 balls including six fours and a six.

Belcon has been in a rich vein of form this season but got little help from his teammates yesterday.

Only Jeetendra Sookdeo with a breezy 29 from 28 balls made a notable contribution.

In reply, Clarke Road have already gone ahead, closing the day on 167 for six and a lead of 15 runs.

Opener Adrian Ali was in attack mode and gave his team the impetus with a boundary-filled 73 from 78 balls. Ali’s knock was laced with 11 fours. Yannick Ottley fell just shy of a half-century, dismissed for 47 off 73 balls. Amir Khan (3/46) and Aniel Kanhai (2/40) were among the wickets to ensure Clarke Road stayed within reach.

At the Queen’s Park Oval, the hosts are already in command with Daron Cruickshank notching a hundred while captain Justin Guillen and Nicholas Alexis hit fifties.

Guillen (72) and Alexis (59) posted an opening stand of 139 to put the Parkites in control. When both were dismissed, Cruickshank took up the slack with a masterful 127 from 161 balls (16 fours, one six) that deflated Comets and lifted Queen’s Park to 380 for eight at the close of play.

Summarised Scores: TABLELAND SC 133 all out – Gabriel Blackwell 36, Al Small 32, Farrell Jugmohan 3/33 vs VICTORIA SC 220/4 – Andre Bryce 61 not out, Keron Kanhai 52, Al Small 2/38.

POWERGEN SC 183 all out (44.5 overs) – Nicholas Sookdeosingh 41, Gibran Mohammed 41, Vedesh Sookhai 24, Jeron Maniram 22, Jovan Ali 21; Shazan Babwah 5/84 vs CENTRAL SPORTS 132 all out (35.3 overs) – Gajanand Singh 54, Jahron Alfred 22, Rakesh Maharaj 20; Kavesh Kantasingh 7/69.

QUEEN’S PARK 380/8 (89.2 overs) – Daron Cruickshank 127, Justin Guillen 72, Nicholas Alexis 59; Vikash Mohan 4/65.

MERRY BOYS 152 all out (41.4 overs) – Mario Belcon 63, Jeetendra Sookdeo 29; Ahkeel Mollon 6/50, Jyd Goolie 3/28 vs FIRST CITIZENS CLARKE ROAD 167/6 (42 overs) – Adrian Ali 73, Yannick Ottley 47; Amir Khan 3/46, Aniel Kanhai 2/40

According to reports, Terrence Wilson, 48, left his six step-children in the care of his 14-yearold daughter at the family’s Arima home yesterday, to go to work. At around 2 pm yesterday afternoon, neighbours reported smelling smoke and saw smoke coming from one of the windows on the second floor of the house.

The 14-year-old relative gathered the children and rushed them out of the house, however, during the melee, Tryane managed to pull free from her guardian and re-entered the house where she died.

Neighbours alerted the Arima Fire Station, however, trucks were at the scene of a nearby bush fire and were unable to respond immediately to the blaze. Newsday understands that the Tunapuna Fire Station instead, dispatched one of their vehicles to the scene which extinguished the fire almost 30 minutes later. Newsday spoke to the bereaved stepfather who said that he learnt of the fire when the owner of the property called him at work.

“I got a call from the owner, saying that the house was on fire.

I just dropped everything I was doing and rushed here as fast as I could, but by the time I got here, the fire officers had already outed the fire and removed the body.

The mother does not live with us here so I am the primary care-giver. Right now I lost my stepdaughter and we don’t have anywhere to go,” a visibly distraught Wilson said.

Police and fire officials are continuing investigations.

Cummings, who has worked as a bouncer, door-to-door salesman, bike messenger and delivery man, became homeless when his application for legal citizenship was denied following a dispute with relatives, with whom he settled .

Despite the dangers of living on the streets in sometimes freezing conditions, Cummings has managed to stay afloat finding temporary work as a scrap collector for construction sites and has remained optimistic taking up residence in a dumpster at the corner of Spring and Wooster streets in Yonkers .

Over the years, Cummings’ bizarre living quarters has made him an urban legend to the people in the bustling downtown community of Yonkers, often startling unsuspecting persons seeking to discard waste .

Cummings, who moved to Toronto Canada as a teenager and later to the United States settling with relatives in New York, where he applied for legal citizenship status .

“I had put my immigration status in my family’s hands,” Cummings told reporters of the New York Post. “The authorities claimed that they sent documents to my former residence but I haven’t received any of it from my relatives.” Cummings has since appealed to a state senator but to no avail .

For the Trinidadian emigre, hope came in the form of two professional models, Shane Duffy and Phil Sullivan, who after going undercover in February 2016 to film a documentary on New York’s homeless, met Cummings, who shared his blankets and foodstuff with them. The duo were moved by Cummings’ kindness and offered to help improve his cramped living quarters. In an interview with the New York Post, good samaritans, Shane Duffy and Phil Sullivan explained why they wanted to sponsor Cummings .

“We (Duffy and Sullivan) wanted to repay him for the generosity he showed us so not long after filming we caught up with him and offered to repay him. He (Dean) wanted us to build something for him to live in as his current quarters lacked many basic commodities like running water.” Duffy who also works as a contractor, collaborated with a partner and spent a total of $1,500 upgrading Cummings’ makeshift home, reinforcing the dumpster’s exterior with pressure-treated wood to withstand New York’s harsh winter months. The box which is almost entirely self-sufficient relies on power via solar panels and also has USB ports for electronic devices .

Despite the much-needed aid, Sullivan insists that there is much more work to be done and has expressed his interest in continuing to work with Cummings, starting a ‘GoFundMe’ account to provide their newfound friend with a permanent home of his own .

““There is still no running water (in Cummings’ home), so I can see it being a sanitation issue with them. We would love to work with the city on something.”

He was addressing a Palm Sunday prayer service with members of the Spiritual Baptist faith at the Jimroy Wyse Recreation Park, corner of Crown Trace and Enterprise Street, Enterprise early yesterday morning.

Cummings, dressed in a flowing green shirt and grey slacks, said “doing nothing” in the face of such “senseless killings” was “not an option and had to do more with humanity than with politics or religion.” “We must be our brother’s keeper,” Cummings said, adding the prayer service was the “beginning of the intervention” in the Enterprise community.

He said the Foundation would be launched after the Easter holidays and would identify the “vulnerable and the ambitious” and assist them to achieve their goals while uplifting the community.

Cummings also participated in the service by the lighting of a solitary candle in the middle of the tent around which oil, wine and water were sprinkled at various intervals.

Also addressing the prayer service was Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan who pledged the council’s support for the Foundation saying the ultimate goal was to “return peace to the community.” “By God’s will and the people’s faith, peace will come back to Enterprise and we will be able to get back that enterprising spirit back into Enterprise,” Boodhan said.

Meanwhile, chairwoman of the Recreation Park’s managing committee Ginelle Small-Cummings said she felt “extremely positive” about the prayer session and its potential effect on the community.

“I feel really, really positive about what is happening in my community, today I welcome the Shouter Baptist community to the Park because knowing that the community goes through this crisis and only the negative part is happening but today it’s good to see this prayer service,” she said.

“I would like to see a reaching out to all the children, the youths because we have to start at the tender age, we also have the Enterprise Youth Club happening in Enterprise but which people not seeing but this is a positive part so we are working towards developing the youths, it’s just to get them now involved positively,” she said.

The Prayer session, which was scheduled to begin at 6am, witnessed dozens of Spiritual Baptist members, all outfitted in their traditional colourful dresses, complete with ornate headpieces, assemble at the Park, some making the journey from as far as Diego Martin and Claxton Bay.

And in true Baptist style, accompanied by the pulsating rhythms of three drummers, the congregation began by singing the victory hymn- “Marching to Zion” before raising their voices as various Bishops and elders led in prayer.

There were noticeable police patrols as marked police vehicles were seen at regular intervals.

The 2005 Budget presentation contained a host of initiatives associated with the energy sector as follows: construction of aluminium smelter, expansion of the iron and steel industry, construction of a fourth LNG train, gasoline optimisation plants and a gas-to-liquids plant, expansion of fabricating yard and dock facilities, and development of Union Estate in La Brea for downstream petrochemical plants and other energy-based industries.

Twelve years later it appears the present PNM administration is still primarily focused on boosting the fortunes of the energy sector. Not that this sector is unimportant or should not attract serious attention but will it be at the cost of focus on non-energy sectors.

Economic correctness no doubt dictated that mention should be made of a broader, more holistic diversification perspective. Accordingly, of the three main pillars of the administration’s economic strategy, it was stated that “the second pillar is to diversify the economy to reduce dependence on the energy sector and to achieve self-sustaining growth.” In pursuit of this diversification strategy, focus was to be placed on six main sectors as follows: (1) the traditional manufacturing sector, (2) a new technologically-based industrial sector, (3) tourism, (4) financial services, (5) agriculture, and (6) the small-business sector.

Later on in the presentation we are told that other areas of economic focus would be on “information technology/ industrial sector” and “Wallerfield Industrial Park” in addition to “telecommunications.” The plans for Wallerfield were comprehensive and many-faceted, if a little incredulous to the objective viewer. Let me quote an extract: “The park will have engineering technology including optical and microsystems technology; material technology and software development; light manufacturing including plastics, electronic devices and petrochemical manufacturing and services including industrial maintenance, logistics and distribution, and training and human resource development.” UTT was earmarked to provide synergies for the industries on the estate. Additionally, we are informed that specific areas are targeted for further commercial expansion (in the diversification thrust).

They are (a) yachting, (b) fish and fish processing, (c) merchant marine, (d) music and entertainment, (e) the film industry, (f) printing and packaging, and (g) food and beverage.

As we review the above-noted focal areas for development outside of the energy sector, the obvious question is what has been achieved in the 12 years since those plans were announced.

The traditional manufacturing sector may have held its own aided by a protected Caricom market but has hardly penetrated other markets to boost foreign exchange earnings.

The new technologically-based industrial sector is stillborn while tourism has declined significantly and financial services have shown no diversified growth. Agriculture remains in the doldrums at 0.5 per cent of the GDP with generally reduced production levels and little agro-processing.

The small business sector is shrinking for want of attention and assistance. We may be charitable and say the Wallerfield Industrial Park is a work in progress yet less than optimistic of its development into a viable sector. As regards yachting we have witnessed a decline of arrivals and length of stay.

To have a successful fish and fish processing industry, there is need, in the first place, to have the availability of fish in our waters. The reality is that fish stocks are on the wane and have been so for a number of years.

Merchant marine may have potential which has hardly been exploited and items like a sustainable film or music and e n t e r – tainment i n d u s – try may seem like wi s h f u l thinking.

* To be continued

At the time Ragoonanan was delivering the homily at the annual Palm Sunday service held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roamn Catholic church, Harris Promenade, San Fernando.

Palm Sunday is observed as the celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem days before he was executed.

For Roman Catholics, Palm Sunday is also considered as the start of Passion Week.

Prior to the start of the service a brief procession was held where worshippers held palms as they walked through the city of San Fernando. In his sermon, Ragoonanan said that many times we are faced with situations in our lives where a relative may become sick and we are in a position to help that person but we complain.

“Should you be saying Lord take this cup away from me? It would be great if you did not have this burden or challenge but the fact is, this is perhaps your destiny this is what God has trained you and blessed you all these years for,” he said. Ragoonanan added, “Who are you to tell God no.

We accept all the gifts he has given to us and then say Lord, I really don’t want the cross with this I just want the glory.” He further said that when people recognise that they do things because it is God will, they no longer fuss and instead accept that ‘this is happening because God wants it to happen’.

He urged persons to recognise God’s power and supremacy and allow Him to be in charge of our lives always. Ragoonanan said that many times we also get a calling and we question God along the way.

“We ask ourselves, is this what God really wants me to do? Many times you and I have to ask ourselves what is our destiny and why did God put us on this earth? Why did He bless me with all the things He has given to me? What is God’s purpose for me being here on earth?” Ragoonanan asked the congregation.

He said that people need to sacrifice and give of themselves as God gives us so much.

Calling on people not to lose hope and heart and to see the Easter season as a time of reflection of perspectives, Anglican Bishop, Claude Berkley said, “people will make a mess of things as is human nature, but get back on course and strive to make right.” Delivering the sermon at yesterday’s Palm Sunday service at Trinity Cathedral, Port-of-Spain, Berkeley said, “People are afraid, marginalised, and more and more people are on the breadline.” “I am seeking to make representation to the HDC (Housing Development Corporation) for about five people right now,” he said, “All of them with very, very sad stories.” While today might be a confusing day, he said, it need not be.

Seeing Palm Sunday as a day of reflection on perspectives, he said, his perspective was that God is in control and continues to work with people to discern and take charge of their siuation.

“In that way we can work around the murders, disruptions, turmoils, economic hardships, marginalisation of people, the loss of faith, the hopelessness we see on the streets. We look for the creativity and imagination of what is available to us, so that we can transform our city of Port-of- Spain for the greater honour and glory of God,” he said.

Shift in societal responsibility, he said, has created many of societies problems.

The breakdown of family life, influences of popular culture, the “Get rich quick, or die trying” notion and a number of new philosophies that engage living, he told Newsday after the service, have caused people to go off course.

“Now we are seeking to address that breach of good community living by exacting murder or the penalty of death on the persons. It is shown that the death penalty is a not a deterrent to those who are of that mind,” he said.

He reiterated the church’s position that the death penalty should be abolished and other means of treating those who would have run afoul of the law, be implemented.

Some injustices may be done by holding people who have committed offences, many years before they could be tried, he said.

Before talking about exacting justice, he said, the issues of detection and conviction have to be addressed.

While the death penalty was controversial, he said, “If you are carrying out the death penalty, you are doing what is forbidden.

Thou shalt not kill.” Noting arguments in favour of not spending tax payers money to keep criminals in jails, Berkley expressed support for restorative justice.

People who commit crimes, he said, should go through the rehabilitative process, work and contribute to the well being of their victims.

On the breakdown in family life and discipline, Berkeley said, “in the past, the community, the school, and the church, sort of made up for weak households.” It was now big challenge for them to do it in that same way, he said.

“Therefore, the State, as the people with the responsibility and authority in governance,” he said, “has to set up with non-governmental organisations, churches and other groups that are willing to help with that shortfall.” That is not to say, he said, “that churches and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are doing some of that already, but it has to be augmented by a governmental input.” The church is now facing a similar challenge in that there is a reduction of the transmission of the faith at the home, he said, so it has to form other means of outreach to reach young people.

“I hope that Holy Week and Easter can bring a new sense of purpose to our nation and awaken many more hearts and minds to come forward to try to help our troubled situation in terms of crime, economics, and the various social issues before us,” he said.

This should be a matter of urgency to help empower the parents and special needs children, she said.

Interacting with people on the issue of special needs people, she said, she recognised that many know nothing about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disorders.

The keynote speaker at the launch of the Autistic Association’s Autism Awareness Month of activities at Autism Place, D’Abadie last Monday, Carmona said more sustainable jobs must be made available to persons with autism if we are serious about the viability of the independence of the person with ASD.

“The spirit and the letter of The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities must take form, either through administrative, institutional or legislative means,” she said.

As a society, she said, “we have a moral responsibility to ensure that those who are marginalised, those who do not have a voice and those who are weak, are fully integrated into our society.” Noting that there is growing worldwide concern that chronic depression is on the rise among parents and caregivers of children with autism, she said, “we need to press the authorities to make available more clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and behavioural scientists to meet their needs.” Occasions to mark Autism Awareness Month, she said, were meant to bring together the movers and shakers in the political, economic, corporate and social spheres who are best placed to formulate policy and initiate programmes that can assist special needs parents and special needs children.

“Through their collaborative efforts, much can be achieved in raising the awareness of the existence of persons, who have been dubbed the mini population,” she said.

The public needs to know and appreciate, she said, that special needs persons need patience, love, support, guidance. With time, she said, the beauty and benefit of their talent and abilities will be revealed.

While persons with ASD are perceived as unstable, incoherent and sometimes even violent, she said, the citizenry must be educated on the signs and symptoms of ASD.

“Law enforcement officers and other persons that deal specifically with the behaviour and conduct of citizens,” she said, “must be trained to acknowledge a person with autism rather than simply placing them in a troubled, deviant and anti-social category.” Noting that the month was being observed under the theme, ‘Toward autonomy and self-determination’, Mrs Carmona said, “it is a recognition that special needs parents and special needs children are not about dependency and must be made to live in an environment that fosters independence and supports the right of the individual to aspire and determine their future.”