00:00Chaguanas has had its share of challenges as of late.
00:04Crime is threatening to cripple economic activity.
00:07So the announcement by Prime Minister Kamala-Pasad Visasa
00:09that the area is earmarked to receive a police post,
00:13with others also carded for the environs,
00:16is being met with a sigh of relief
00:18by President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Baldat Maharaj.
00:23The Chamber strongly welcomed this move by the Prime Minister.
00:27Recently, we saw a surge in violent crime and more so murders.
00:31And this really has business owners and residents on edge.
00:35You really can't run a business or live normally
00:38when people have to close early and leave their place of work.
00:44And the fair factor driving this is something Maharaj believes will diminish
00:48once the joint posts, which are intended to heighten the visibility of law enforcement
00:53and restore order, come to fruition.
00:55He believes the areas selected are also strategic.
00:59Putting police, army, patrol, especially in locations like Felicity,
01:05Carson Field and the Coover Interchange
01:08is a direct, practical step to take back the streets.
01:12I know some people are a bit sceptical about whether those static posts will work
01:18and those concerns are totally fair
01:20because a post on its own is not a silver bullet.
01:24But the Chaguanas Chamber says that police army presence will take some of the burden
01:30borne by crime off of the shoulders of residents
01:33and will even be more effective if made to work in tandem with other security mechanisms.
01:38It gives communities an immediate anchor for safety.
01:43For this to work though, these units just need to stay mobile, well equipped and backed by quick response times.
01:51The chamber is ready to step up and support these officers and bridge the gap between local business and law
01:58enforcement.
01:59And while he maintains that a move is positive, Maharad says more has to be done in what he calls
02:05the bigger picture.
02:06Where we have CCTV cameras and so on.
02:09But if we combine these police posts with smart policing and real community back in,
02:16we can bring safety and peace of mind back in Central.
02:20Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
02:22Aloha, TV6 News.
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