Felicity residents increase neighbourhood watches after businessman’s kidnapping

Felicity residents have been on high alert since the kidnapping of businessman Kartikey Ramsundar on October 13.

Ramsundar was at his business, Riverside Marina, on Cacandee Road when three gunmen abducted him.

As residents in Felicity continue to hold out hope for the businessman’s safe return, Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally said they have also stepped up neighbourhood watches.

In an interview on Monday, Rambally told Newsday, “We have different (community watch) groups that are coordinating in different areas.

“What they have been doing is really just following up on their own security, but I don’t want to give too much details for obvious reasons.”

While Rambally has been in contact with Ramsundar’s family, he said they know little about his disappearance and he had no information of a ransom being requested.

But even before Ramsundar’s kidnapping, Rambally said his constituents have been fearful for their safety given the increase in robberies, particularly in Felicity and Charleville, in 2020.

Since then, he said constituents have intensified neighbourhood watch groups and even held an anti-crime walk in November 2020.

Rambally also noted that earlier this year he led a group of businessmen from his constituency to meet with former commissioner of police Gary Griffith.

While there was an intervention by Griffith which led to increased police patrols in the community, Rambally said more must be done.

“Since then till now we haven’t really had any response from the Minister of National Security in relation to the increase in crime, nor have we had a response in regards to this particular (kidnapping) incident.”