Garcia: Violence has cast shadow over Arima

EDUCATION Minister and MP for Arima Anthony Garcia said the recent spate of violence has cast a shadow over the Royal Borough.

Garcia urged constituents to work together with him to eradicate the crime scourge that rocked the community over the past few days.

On Monday morning the community of Arima awoke to a brutal triple murder in which a brother and sister, Damian and Polly-Ann Chuniesingh and their uncle Randy who was visiting from Canada were murdered in their home at Getwell Avenue, Pinto Road.

During a wake for the trio on Monday night, David “Scratchie” Richardson, 43, was liming in his gallery at Getwell Avenue Extension along with Jerlene Richardson, 22, and Kelly Andrews, 40, when they too came under attack from gunmen.

All three were wounded and police are investigating any possible link between the two incidents.

Over the weekend an off-duty policeman also shot and killed two bandits during an attempted robbery at a bar in Arima. A female patron at the bar was also shot.

In a release on Tuesday evening Garcia said the incidents had cast a shadow over the town.

“I express my sincerest condolences to the families and friends whose loss is personal. I assure them that together with the Arima Borough Council, the hardworking police service and many other concerned citizens, much work is going on to remove this scourge of violence from our once peaceful community.

“I do not want for these instances of violence to plague our community so much that we become fearful. Let us work together to eradicate this new scourge and each do our part to be our brother/sister's keeper.

“We will make it through this together, stronger than we were before. My office doors remain open to you all and I look forward to working with all of you to restore our community.”

Garcia also spoke briefly on the issue while visiting the Claxton Bay Junior Anglican School to address concerns raised by parents on Wednesday.

“We are working with the police and the Arima Borough council. There was supposed to be a meeting today (Wednesday) with the police at 1.30 so we can roll it out a little more, the initiatives that we want to put in place.”

He did not elaborate.

In as separate release on Tuesday, Garcia also condemned the “senseless act of violence” which ended the life of Baby's Pre-School principal Jezelle Phillip.

Phillip was stabbed to death in the presence of students on Monday, the first day of the new school term. Her attacker later surrendered to the police.

Although the day care services centre does not fall under the purview of the Ministry of Education, Garcia condemned the "senseless act of violence against someone who was making a positive contribution towards moulding the lives and minds of the nation’s children."

Phillip was the mother of a primary school student and her attacker also has children who attend public schools in Port of Spain. Garcia said the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) would extend psychological and counselling support services to Phillip’s child, while the school’s Social Workers would also extend counselling services to the children of the alleged attacker.

He said psychologists, guidance counsellors and social workers from the SSD were also willing to extend their services to the children of the day care services centre if asked by their parents.