Sea Lots 'peace treaty' signed, senior superintendent unsure all parties were involved

SEA LOTS resident Jada Morris said as of March 8, there is a peace treaty following tensions in the small community that forced 35 women, herself included, to march to the Police Administration Building on March 5 to plead for help.

The women sought assistance after alleging a series of attacks on J'Ouvert morning. The women alleged a lack of police action regarding their complaints that they had been badly assaulted by men from the nearby Beetham Highway community on March 5.

Morris thanked Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP) Junior Benjamin and the police for their intervention.

"We had a peace meeting at the beginning of Pioneer Drive. Members from different sides, including elders, youth and men, came together. Everyone signed the peace agreement and afterward, there were prayers."

Morris said while she did not know how the situation had escalated, the J'Ouvert-morning clash was not unusual.

"What made the women feel the need to go to the station was the attack on the innocent and elderly."

Morris expressed confidence following the peace meeting: "Everybody seems to be on the same page." She stressed violence should never be the first response.

"If we hadn’t taken our stand and let the mothers go to the (police) station, I believe this could have gotten worse. I just want people to know there is another way of dealing with things. Just because somebody hits you doesn’t mean you should hit back. Violence is not always the answer."

Snr Supt Raymond Thom of the Port of Spain Division refrained from commenting on the alleged treaty, saying:

"I wouldn't be able to comment on that. I have certain officers dealing with making peace in the area and there was some intervention by other persons. I know they had a meeting, but I don't know the results of the meeting because I'm not sure that all factions attended."

He added since the march, there have been meetings held in the community, and other meetings are scheduled. Thom stressed some factions have already met with the police. He said upcoming meetings will be private, while others will include residents.

"I'm not sure that everyone attended, so I would be unable to comment on the treaty. I can't give you anything conclusive on that."

He said the police are hoping for a swift resolution with the community's help. He reiterated the police, who were directed to visit the community and address the situation, were not involved in the meeting.

"I only want to comment on what I know about. If she says there is a peace treaty, that means those who are present came to some form of agreement towards peace."

Nigel Charles of the Sea Lots Legacy Foundation stressed the need for more jobs and programmes for young people in the community.

"Youth are not getting a fair chance to pursue their goals. We don’t want the bad image of the community to hold back the good ones. There are many good people here," he said on March 9.

Charles, a founding member of the foundation, believes police programmes could also greatly benefit young people.

"There are a lot of youths who would love to be police officers, soldiers, or Coast Guard personnel. The army, regiment, or Coast Guard should be able to build the minds of these young people, take them off the streets and prepare them for the future."

Following the Ash Wednesday march, Charles said things had returned to normal.

"There’s a lot of increased police presence. Every half hour or 25 minutes, the police patrol again, right around the clock," Charles added.

Minister in the Ministry of National Security and MP for the area, Keith Scotland, spoke with Newsday via phone on March 9 and expressed his concerns about the situation. He said he had been in constant contact with residents of Sea Lots.

"Sea Lots is too small for such artificial divisions. I am carefully monitoring what is happening. Some of it is being blown completely out of proportion."

Speaking directly to the residents, he said, "Sea Lots knows about our conversations and residents know what we have planned. There is no time for this; I am very disturbed by it. I know some of it is sensationalism, but there must be at least an iota of something driving this and it is counterproductive."

In a media release on March 9, the National Transformation Alliance (NTA) candidate for Sea Lots, Gail Gonsalves-Castanada, urged an end to the violence and called for the beginning of a united movement for change.

"I acknowledge the frustrations, pain and struggles faced by residents, emphasising the urgent need for a shift in leadership and governance."

Her statement said too many young men are dying and grieving families are suffering. She believes communities are left to fend for themselves, but contends change is possible if the community decides to take the first step.

The release said "real transformation" must come from within, highlighting issues such as crime, poverty and unemployment. It went on to say residents have shown "continued loyalty to a government that has failed to deliver meaningful progress and has left communities in hardship."

A five-step approach to breaking the "cycle of oppression and building a stronger, self-sufficient community" was outlined, which included ending division, increasing political awareness, promoting community development, breaking dependency by rejecting systems that keep the community in poverty and crime, and voting for change.

The statement concluded, "This is not about war: this is about peace. We must stop allowing the system to turn us against each other while those in power live comfortably. The war must end. The violence must end. But most importantly, the cycle of hopelessness must end."