By Sue-Ann Wayow
MEMBER of Parliament for Couva South Rudranath Indarsingh is calling on National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds to ensure a sense of comfort and security for residents of Central Trinidad following several recent criminal activities in the area.
In a video statement this week, Indarsingh spoke about the daylight highway police drama that resulted in the death of a teenaged suspected car thief, a brutal robbery in Basta Hall at a leading liquor mart and three persons who were shot in California, all in 72 hours.
He said, “I am very concerned about the upsurge in criminal activity in the constituency of Couva South and by extension Couva North and Central Trinidad. Is Couva and Central Trinidad now under siege based on the upsurge in criminal activity and whether there is a migration of criminals into Couva and Central Trinidad once again?”
The MP said he was aware of the Covid-19 challenges the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) were facing given that many had died, many were on sick leave and others were on quarantine but those challenges seemed to have impacted the manpower at the Central Division including the Couva Police Station.
Constituents have raised concerns about the absence of police vehicles and police patrols, Indarsingh said.
He said, “We need Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds and the hierarchy of the police service to bring that sense of what we would call on the job handling, in terms of providing that leadership so once again citizens of Couva and Central Trinidad could feel a sense of comfort.”
More municipal officers needed
Chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo
He said he understood the Covid-19 challenges with officers as there were also similar challenges with the municipal police attached to the Corporation.
Awong said at present, the Corporation had 28 officers working three eight-hour shifts with some having to work double shifts.
A promise from the Government to have at least 100 municipal officers per Corporation is still being waited upon he said since the Corporation was geographically large covering nine constituencies.
Awong said, “The municipal police, they would do the best at their jobs. Their main task is for the protection of the Corporation’s assets. They also work together with central police and have joint efforts with the TTPS, for example, last year Divali into Christmas they were at the major shopping areas and so on. They would also assist with patrolling the area.”
The municipal police presently have enough vehicles but some were in need of maintenance.
The chairman said presently five were working and three were down while funds for the repairs were still to be released.
The police station located opposite the Corporation’s main office at Railway Road, Couva was being expanded to accommodate the officers and the first phase of the expansion was expected to be completed in the next few weeks, Awong said.
