By Prior Beharry
A CALL is being made to bring back Emergency Response Patrol (ERP) unit to Rio Claro in light of the current surge of violent crime in the area.
In a release on Sunday, MP for Mayaro Ruston Paray said, “The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service must immediately reassign the ERP unit to Rio Claro in light of the current surge of violent crime in the area.”
He said in recent weeks there have been homicides, home invasions, sexual assaults and other serious crimes in the Rio Claro communities following the removal of the ERP.
He said, “Several months ago there were four patrols, with a complement of 40 officers, but this was steadily reduced, until the last squad was reassigned to Sangre Grande on July 17.
“The ongoing presence of armed officers and blue flashing lights had served as a deterrent to crime and comfort to residents. ”
Paray said Rio Claro and its environs have now turned into a hotbed of serious offences and residents are now in fear of becoming targets of brazen criminals.
He said, “Only this weekend a teenager was raped and her family robbed during a home invasion by two armed bandits.
“I strongly urge the TTPS authorities to restore the ERP unit to Rio Claro and to assign other resources to stamp out the scourge of crime that has descended upon this previously safe community.”
