BLOCK THE GUNMEN

TIRED of numerous and regular drive-by shootings in their community, residents of Rock City off Erica Street in Laventille are calling on police to act on the brazen gunplay by rival gangsters.

They say gunmen have easy access in and out of their community and they want the police to place metal barricades, a mechanical pole or even a gate across Erica Street and adjoining roads to block vehicular access by gunmen.

Speaking at a police town hall meeting on upper Erica Street on Monday night, a resident said while a police car has been parked on Old St Joseph Road opposite Erica Street, this has not deterred gang members and gunmen from driving in and shooting at people and then driving off.

He suggested concrete barricades be placed at night to restrict the flow of traffic. "These people come here to cause chaos and are allowed to make sometimes as much as three trips around the block and each time they pass, they just start to shoot indiscriminately.

"If the police do a stop-and-search, maybe we can see an end to that. The last shooting they had, by the time the police came, the killers went the other way. There's a police post on Erica Street, but I don't know if they (officer there) are sleeping or what. The accessibility these guys have, that they can come in and get out quick to the road, is part of the problem. If this was a one-way street, two men would still be alive," the resident said referring to a recent double murder in the area.

Head of Port of Spain Division, Snr Supt Floris Hodge-Griffith said while she appreciated the concerns of the community and their willingness to look at solutions, placing barricades across a public road falls within the remit of the Ministry of Works and Transport.

Hodge-Griffith said she is aware of the residents' desire to have some form of blockage of the road, having seen a petition calling for this. She said the petition was forwarded to the Works and Transport Ministry.

"It (the petition) came to my desk that you all want to block the street. That petition was sent to the Ministry of Works who has the remit of traffic management. I remember the walkthrough we had here and I realised what you the residents were talking about. But I have to follow up what happened with the petition.

"I am understanding why this would help the community and it should be something for consideration. I will have to see where it is," Hodge-Griffith said.

In response, the resident said a temporary barricade with a movable arm could be put at the entrance to the street, but other residents expressed dissatisfaction at this suggestion. Calls by Newsday to the cell phone of Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan went unanswered yesterday.

Another resident said the road leading into Rock City forms a loop, so any gunman would have to make a turn at the end to escape. The resident suggested a police post should be set up in the area. However, Hodge-Griffith said it was unlikely a post will be placed in Rock City as the police's resources "are already stretched thin" within Port of Spain Division.