Trincity, Maloney residents: Crime, water more important than name change

In December, Parliament approved the Elections and Boundaries Commission's (EBC) 2024 report on constituency boundary changes without amendments.

However, the proposed name change of the Arouca/Maloney constituency to Trincity/Maloney has largely gone unnoticed by residents, who expressed little concern, focusing instead on more pressing community issues.

Along with the Trincity/Maloney name change, four other constituencies were proposed to be renamed, including Pointe-a-Pierre to Claxton Bay and D’Abadie/O'Meara to Malabar/Mausica. While there were no boundary changes in St Joseph, the EBC also proposed to rename the constituency to Aranguez/St Joseph and Lopinot/Bon Air West to Arouca/Lopinot.

Newsday visited Maloney, located in east Trinidad, on January 14. It was evident that the area, home to well-known soca artists like Preedy and Pan-American Games 3x3 basketball bronze medallists Akheel “Small” Boyd and his twin brother Ahkeem Boyd, was grappling with a range of concerns.

The housing community was developed in the early 1980s on farmland before being transformed into an urban residential area. The community was primarily designed to provide low- to middle-income housing for families, many of whom were relocated from Port of Spain. Today, the area comprises 21 buildings with each housing 62 apartments. There is an average of three people living in the two-bedroom apartments to five in the three-bedroom.

Many residents struggled to identify the new constituency boundaries and were more focused on tangible issues affecting their community. However, the following landmarks can help orient someone to Maloney: From the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, turn left at the "Welcome to Maloney Gardens" sign. On the Eastern Main Road and bus route, when travelling along Redhill Main Road, Maloney begins at the T-junction near the barbershop and at La Resource: South side, Maloney begins when you reach the brightly painted pink Seventh Day Adventist Church at the corner of Euphonia Avenue Extension.

At Maloney Mall, Sherma Smith, a local business owner, said she was unaware of the proposed name change and did not wish to comment on it. However, she expressed frustration with the mall's dilapidated state.

With only 20 out of 50 stores occupied, Smith said tenants had to pool resources to replace bulbs. She said despite paying rent on time, tenants received no response when requesting repairs, and a recent meeting by mall management had made promises without delivering any changes.

Smith also voiced concern over the area's growing crime rate and urged young people to engage in positive activities.

“Everybody needs to know God and serve God. Do the right thing: live in love regardless of whether you're a single parent or not. Just do the right thing. Be a leader, not a follower.”
She expressed doubt about the effectiveness of MP Camille Robinson-Regis, suggesting that the PNM would face a "tough fight" in reclaiming the constituency in the upcoming general election.

The constituency, created before the 2007 general election, was formed by merging seventeen polling divisions from the former Arouca South constituency with two polling divisions from St Augustine.

It borders the constituencies of Lopinot/Bon Air West, St Augustine, and D'Abadie/O'Meara and is generally considered a stronghold for the PNM, as the party has never lost control of it.
President of the Maloney Mall Association Kervern Monticeux echoed Smith’s concerns about the mall, noting it was in dire need of renovation. While plans to revamp the mall had been discussed, Monticeux said many tenants were opposed to the changes, which would involve significant disruptions to their businesses.

“We had a meeting mid-last year concerning a revamping of the mall. Nipdec and a few other agencies, including Unicef, have come together with plans to revamp the entire mall.”
Monticeux was unsure when renovations would begin. He said the process would involve significant changes, including relocating booths, and many tenants were not on board.

“It’s not only inconvenient, it’s almost an impossible task for some businesses.”
The renovation plans involve reworking the layout of the middle of the mall, replacing windows with more structured glass, ceiling work, insulation, and electrical repairs.

He also highlighted other issues in the community. He said the library was underutilised and the health centre poorly stocked.

“The library needs more books. We have a health centre that is often short on supplies, and the staff sometimes have to give patients basic medications like Panadol. These are things that need attention.”

Monticeux emphasised these concerns, rather than the constituency name change, should be the focus of attention. He also pointed out that low rent prices in the mall contributed to a lack of investment, leading businesses to leave.

He said the association has been working with the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to attract more businesses and make the mall more welcoming to various types of businesses that can better serve the community's needs.

The entrance to the mall boasts an outdoor amphitheatre: however, the wooden seats were partly rotten.

Dinece Briggs, a local resident, also criticised the lack of maintenance in the area, particularly the need for repainting buildings. While she sung praises for the constituency MP, she believed her staff needed to be sacked for their poor performance. She said that was a bigger issue than the proposed renaming of the constituency.

The Maloney Library, located just a short distance from the mall, offers valuable resources to the community. A staff member said the library supports residents with various services, including printing for book grants and offering camps for children during holidays.

The library also partners with the nearby Maloney RC church of the Incarnation to provide after-school programmes. Despite needing additional furniture and air conditioning repairs, a staff member said the library remains a well-utilised resource in the community.

When Newsday visited, a group of YTEPP students studying barbering was printing class projects at the library. A staff member explained the library assists with printing forms for book grants, OJT, and many other forms as the facility does whatever it can to serve the community.

Located in the heart of Maloney is the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena. The arena can accommodate a variety of activities, including football, basketball, karate, badminton, gymnastics, music lessons, after-school lessons, netball, dance, and special events, to name a few.

Nearby, the Maloney Community Swimming Pool provides recreational and competitive opportunities.

The pool, a project of the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, is a competition-sized training pool (168,000 gallons) located at the corner of Heron Street and Flamingo Boulevard.

It has six lanes with varying water depths from one meter at the shallowest end to 2.2 meters at the deepest end. The facility includes three open external showers, spectator bleachers with seating for 30 people, an administrative building with change rooms, male and female washrooms, and a washroom for disabled people.

The facility is maintained and operated by the Defence Force, which teaches aqua aerobics, learn-to-swim classes, and recreational swimming, all of which are reportedly oversubscribed.

"It’s also about community building. Our ageing swimmers make new friends. It’s a place where they can come, work out, and be part of a community," said one staff member.
In neighbouring Trincity, the constituency proposed name change was met with similar indifference.

The area, known for its shopping centres such as Trincity Mall, which spans a total of two million square feet, making it the largest mall in the Caribbean, as well as East Gates Mall, is a vibrant mix of business and residential spaces.

The community can indulge in a host of amenities, including golf at the Millennium Lakes Golf and Country Club. Additionally, the crime rate in the area is lower than in other parts of Trinidad.

While some residents, like an elderly man working in his yard, dismissed the proposed renaming as a political distraction, others, like Christian Quinn, questioned its relevance.

Quinn, who lives in Trincity, expressed concern about the influence of gang culture spilling over from Maloney but hoped the proposed renaming of the constituency could bring peace.

He also raised concerns over inadequate garbage collection and inconsistent water supply. With several bins overflowing, Quinn stressed these everyday challenges needed to be addressed regardless of the proposed name change.

Quinn also hoped the ongoing repairs to the Trincity Community Centre would lead to more programmes for young people, which could help keep them out of trouble.

Despite the proposed constituency name change, residents of both Trincity and Maloney emphasised the focus should remain on improving public services, security and infrastructure.

• Population of Maloney: 10,768 residents
• School in Maloney: Maloney Government Primary School
• Number of streets: 60 streets
• Total Area: 0.9900 km²

• Population of Trincity: 10,075 residents
• Schools in Trincity:
Dinsley/Trincity Government Primary School
Bishop’s/Trinity East College
• Total Area: 1.087 km²