Hotel, tourism body wants security review

The Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association has expressed its condolences to the family of popular gyro vendor Elias Dabdouran, who died on Saturday at Scarborough General Hospital, after being shot in Crown Point a week ago.

Dabdouran, 30, of Feeder Road, Canaan, was shot in the head by a gunman around 4 am, last Monday, while he and a worker were off-loading items from a van in front of his businessplace on Milford Road, Crown Point. After shooting the young businessman, the gunman and an accomplice escaped by foot. Police believe robbery was the motive.

Carol-Ann Birchwood-James, vice president of the association, said given the Crown Point Police Station is 30 seconds drive from where Dabdouran was shot, it shows the level of "brazenness" from criminals today.

She believes police must review its approach to security for an area that was once considered extremely safe.

"The police station is about 30 seconds away and the police is always patrolling that strip there. They don't park and stay but they're always patrolling....It's a level of brazenness but therefore you need to review your security in that area, because before we all thought this was a very safe area. Very few incidents occurred there and there are a lot of people, especially during the weekend and holiday time."

Birchwood-James said there is a serious concern on the island about the increase in murders.

She said she is waiting to see what the police investigations unearth and asked that the police be given "some time" to work.

“We hope the authorities catch the perpetrators very fast....I am really sad and sorry about this.”

Birchwood-James also praised the Tobago authorities and the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development for the role they played in trying to save Dabdouran’s life.

ASP Daniel Powder, who confirmed Dabdouran had died, told Newsday on Saturday, “We were really hoping otherwise that he would have survived.”

Powder, who is in charge of the Tobago Division, said several suspects are still being questioned in relation to the investigation. A 19-year-old man is said to be among those assisting police.

Newsday understands Dabdouran’s parents gave permission for the plug on the life support machine to be pulled. The vendor, nicknamed George, never spoke after being taken to the hospital.

However, his family members, friends and associates kept a vigil at the hospital hoping for a miracle.

And for a while they were optimistic when Dr Agatha Carrington, Secretary for Health, Wellness and Family Development, announced at the post-executive council news conference on Wednesday that Dabdouran had taken some breaths on his own after being on ventilation support since the shooting.

At the news conference, Carrington also said she had contacted a neurosurgeon, who agreed to examine the young businessman.

Last week, Birchwood-James said there was a sense of unease among Crown Point business owners.

Birchwood-James had also said the shooting of the businessman would have been discussed at this week's meeting of the association. She said the association had a protection committee, which includes police and other national security agencies.

“So, of course, we will put our sentiments there and our recommendations to make Tobago safer,” she had said.

Crown Point Business Association president Garvin Manzano, who had urged businessmen to upgrade the security systems in their respective businesses, also called for increased police patrols in the area.
(with additional reporting from Stephon Nicholas)