Caroni East MP wants police to improve response time

Caroni East MP Dr Rishad Seecheran is pleading with the police to respond urgently and effectively to the pressing pleas of residents of Cunupia and adjoining communities.

In a statement on Saturday, the MP also thanked the police for their recent community outreach meeting in Cunupia where many people criticised the slow response of the police and crude responses.

Seecheran suggested police return to the community and measure their performance "after an appropriate period with an update on measures that have been implemented.”

The Opposition MP recalled that at the town hall meeting at the Warrenville Regional Complex on May 24, residents related their deep frustrations concerning the quality and timeliness of police action amid unprecedented crimes.

They said in many cases, the police did not have vehicles and other essential resources. There were also insufficient available personnel, and some police, Seecheran said, were not acquainted with the relevant districts.

He added that residents also complained about the “crude behaviour” of some police.

“On top of that, I have been beseeching the authorities to institute a police post, frequent patrols, CCTV cameras, intelligence-gathering, reactivation of the police youth group, and other appropriate resources,” Seecheran said.

“These are all critical in light of the number of homicides, home invasions, assaults, and other violent crimes in Kelly Village, St Helena, Madras, and other communities.”

Seecheran said several districts in central Trinidad have become “dumping grounds for murderers,” who often brazenly carry out their heinous crimes in broad daylight without fear of the authorities.

“The plague of bloody violence in Caroni East has only worsened in recent years, in spite of promises by officials of the government and the police to provide additional crime-fighting resources.”