Conflict in Sea Lots continues as cops intervene

RESIDENTS of Sea Lots who live along the Beetham Highway, Port of Spain, said they were the victims of attacks, not the perpetrators, talking to Newsday on March 6.

At least eight residents of the close-knit community complained to Newsday they had been the victims of a barrage of bottles pelted by one or more wayward youths from Pioneer Drive, Sea Lots, on J'Ouvert morning (March 3).

On March 5, about 35 women from Pioneer Drive had complained to acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin that their neighbours on the highway had allegedly been regularly slapping and robbing them whenever they pass by.

One woman said she was slapped on J'Ouvert morning as she was trying to save her son who was being attacked.

Newsday visited both communities on March 6 to try to get to the bottom of the brewing friction.

Several highway residents attested to being pelted with bottles.

"My home was like a war-zone," said one male senior citizen.

"Bottle pelted like rain in here on J'Ouvert," said another man.

Another man said, "Bottles were coming down like brimstone."

A woman said in despair, "These youths are taking it to a next level."

A middle-aged woman showed Newsday a photo of a broken window on her cellphone which she said had been damaged in the bottle attack.

A young woman in red said a window in her home had also been broken by a pelted bottle. An elderly man showed Newsday two broken bottles as evidence of the attack.

Many residents repeatedly told Newsday that their "yard" was a place of peace and love, with most people working at serious day jobs rather than pursuing fighting.

A woman in blue said, "The police do not raid here. Everybody in this yard does go to work.

"Just before Christmas, a little boy pelted a flambeau into here."

She said she had never disrespected the Pioneer Drive women, whom were supposed to be deemed "elders."

Of the 35 woman, she said, "I am sorry for them. They don't have a choice. Gang members tell them to go to the police."

The woman in red added, "This (J'Ouvert) is not the first time (that bottles were pelted at the highway residents).

"Yet they are running to the police to make a report."

She recalled a time when Pioneer Drive residents used to stop and eat in the highway residents' yard.

"We used to feed them and listen to their problems.

"There are no criminals and no guns in this yard. They really like to cry wolf."

The highway residents said a 19-year old bottle pelter had also slapped a 35-year-old man carrying a small child, in the main incident on J'Ouvert morning.

Newsday asked if the highway residents had slapped him back and the woman in blue alluded that such might have happened.

"Things happen in a snap. We are not saying we are innocent."

But she emphasised residents had not used any cutlass or gun in their response.

Another woman said, "Big women down there (Pioneer Drive) only lying. Their children are ruling them.

"The women in the (newspaper) pictures, it is their children causing the trouble. Don't put us in your bacchanal!"

The highway residents' main spokesman challenged the Pioneer Drive complaints by saying if it was true they were subject to attack, how did 35 people passed freely the day before. He said God knows the truth and the police also know the truth by monitoring social media.

"The youths out here, which is the highway and Pioneer Drive, have a little grievance. I don't know for what reason.

"And every time this grievance going on, it always have an interference with the community.

"These youths, they does play together, and then they does end up into war again."

He recalled a "little" altercation among youths on J'Ouvert morning on a field along the highway, to which the police were called and had "patted down" the scene.

"It have this youth man from down in the back. I don't want to call no names but he knows himself. He come up with two bottles and he start to hit a youth man from over on the next side while he was standing up amongst us, big people.

"He start to pelt bottle. We told him don't pelt no bottle because you always coming here and pelting bottle."

The spokesman said since Christmas, the youngster had pelted bottles on many occasions at the homes of the highway residents.

"I told him don't pelt no bottle and disrespect our yard – which is a peaceful yard – and he still doing it.

"And on top of that he start to come up in my face in all kind of way."

He said after the 19-year old had slapped his first victim (a young man), he then began pelting bottles at the victim's sister and cousin.

The spokesman alluded that highway residents had retaliated against the 19-year old who was not listening to their calls to desist in his aggression.

"So how you make a child hear. It's not to hit them? Or discipline them?

"And that is what we doing. We disciplining the youths. And it have bigger elders down there who know the truth and are just trying to hide from the truth and making it look like it is we out here are targeting people.

"These youths have a different way of thinking. They thinking violence and they going to the media, making we look bad. God knows the truth."

While Newsday visited, a police van drove very slowly through the Pioneer Drive with men in camouflage, while later on at the highway one resident said the police had told her they were surprised to hear of complaints being made about residents in that area.

Snr Supt Raymond Thom told Newsday, "Officers from the Port of Spain community police and the administration of the Besson Street police station met with the same people who made the complaints yesterday from Pioneer Drive, including some of the community leaders. After that they would have spoken to people on the highway front, which is another faction that is engaging them.

“So they spoke to the two parties and tomorrow they are going back to speak to the people from Production Drive.

“In the meantime, they have patrols down there trying to maintain the peace and so we’re waiting to see what comes out of the discussion tomorrow with the other side.

"We’re talking to them to hear what they’re willing to do to contribute to bringing peace in the area. It’s actually three factions, but two are operating as one.

"We’ve engaged two already and the third engagement will be tomorrow.”