00:00Top of the news, the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association says that persistent
00:04robberies and attacks on citizens are hurting business confidence and economic activity.
00:11But Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissassa says political representatives in Porto, Spain
00:16must support stronger police operations, accusing them of opposing measures such as Zoso and the
00:24State of Emergency. The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association is raising the alarm over
00:31what it describes as an insidious and persistent series of serious crimes, warning that the
00:37consequences are now being felt throughout the business community. While acknowledging a welcome
00:43decline in the murder rate, Domas says other serious offenses continue to threaten citizens'
00:48safety and disrupt everyday commercial activity. In a statement, the association says,
00:54The negative impact is being felt in every sector, whether manufacturer, established storefronts
01:01or taxi driver. It is real and in our view quantifiable. The association argues that fear of
01:09crime is affecting people's willingness to leave their homes with knock-on effects for consumer
01:15spending and business confidence. It listed what it views as chronic crimes. The association says
01:21the situation is worsening despite police arrests warning that the theft of copper and damage to
01:27commercial equipment have become so extensive that some air conditioning components like compressors
01:34and copper pipes are now out of stock. Doma says, quote, this repeated set of violent cash crimes is
01:41obviously a well-organized scheme and in response, our society seems totally disorganized and helpless,
01:48end quote. The association says it has repeatedly engaged the authorities recommending undercover
01:54operations to target those responsible for jewelry and chain robberies, which it says have spread to
02:02taxi stands and savannah food market and cinemas. Doma is also recommending a dedicated task force to tackle
02:09both jewelry robberies and banking-related crimes, such as undercover plain-clothes policing.
02:16But Prime Minister Kamala Pisan-Basasa is placing responsibility on political representatives in
02:22Port of Spain. She says, quote, the MPs and councillors for Port of Spain do not want any heavy police
02:28operations in these areas. Whenever the government tries to assist in these areas, we constantly hear them
02:35saying, no to Zoso, no to SOE, the police too wicked, hands up, don't shoot, I can't breathe,
02:44they don't like we, etc. So if we try to help, we are damned, if we don't try, we are
02:50damned, end quote.
02:52The Prime Minister is urging Doma to engage with the capital's parliamentary
02:56and local government representatives to secure their support for special police operations in Port of Spain.
