Cops crack down on illegal HDC occupation

A 69-year-old woman who was previously evicted from a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) apartment at Clifton Hill, Port of Spain, was among 15 people detained yesterday, in a joint police/army exercise at East Dry River to remove illegal occupants of HDC units.

The exercise started at 6 am and included 40 police officers and soldiers. It was led by Acting Senior Superintendent Ajith Persad, head of the Port of Spain CID, and included Supt Wayne Mohammed of the Inter Agency Task Force, Inspector Bruno, Sgts Morales and Austin and other officers from the Port of Spain CID .

During the five-hour operation, officers went to specific apartments and told the occupants they were being removed. Some of them resisted. They said they were being unfairly targeted because they had nowhere else to go and could not live on the streets with their young children. One of them is expected to be charged with using obscene language and resisting arrest.

Those detained included eight women and seven men whose ages range from 18 to 69. Police made arrangements to have children placed in the custody of relatives.

Sources revealed, the 15 who were targeted yesterday, were previous tenants of the HDC but were evicted for various reasons. They allegedly broke the locks of the apartments, re-entered and placed new locks. HDC security officers and police were told.

ACP Irwin Hackshaw said the problem did not only exist in Port of Spain, but throughout the country and some were havens for people involved in criminal activities. He said yesterday’s exercise was the first step in a series of planned raids.

Yesterday, HDC managing director Brent Lyons confirmed police and the HDC had an arrangement to deal with any illicit activities taking place in units owned by the corporation.