Senior officers confirm: Car thieves come from outside Aranguez

A senior North Eastern Division police officer yesterday confirmed that the majority of car thieves operating in Aranguez are coming from outside the area, and admit there are weaknesses in the set-up of security cameras to detect such crimes.

The officer said earlier this week two suspected car thieves, aged 17 and 20, from Barataria and Morvant respectively were arrested for their role in the theft of six vehicles from the area.

The officer also said the Aranguez area was one of the most difficult areas to police in the North Eastern Division because of its accessibility from the Priority Bus Route and the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway.

He lamented the unwillingness of residents to give the police information and attributed this trend to escalating thefts in the area.

"A lot of the guys that are coming from Beetham and Sea Lots can access Aranguez very easily to do these crimes. They can just walk down the highway and end up in Aranguez.

"What we've also noticed is that a lot of the residents are very reluctant to come forward and provide whatever information they have, because they don't want to be killed, which is understandable. But they also need to understand that their testimony and their information can get these people off the street."