Too scared to attend meeting

WHAT started as a scantily attended town hall meeting between police and members of the Clifton Hill community, ended as a passionate outcry by both police and citizens for peace in Port of Spain.

Port of Spain police officers reached out to residents of Clifton Hill and environs on Wednesday evening through their monthly town hall meeting, which was held at the parking lot area of Clifton Towers. ASPs Roger Ghool and Edmund Cumberbatch, Supt Dale Ablack, ACP Vincel Edwards, and Supt Floris Hodge-Griffith, who were at the head table, invited members of the community to sit with them under a well-lit tent and speak of their grievances in a public forum. The police service also featured Samantha Griffith of the Victim Witness and Support Unit, who explained some of the services that the unit offers, which included counselling, walkabouts and assistance with court visits. Griffith, along with the other officers encouraged residents to come forward with their problems.

However the call at first seemed to fall on deaf ears, as very few residents showed up to the event.

Deborah Roberts, a resident in the area who owns a bar nearby was one of the first to speak out against the violence in the area. She also took the police to task for their dismissive attitude toward the residents. “Do you notice something wrong here? There are plenty empty seats,” Roberts said. “The police would pass and would not give you the time of the day. Some would make the effort and talk to you but the younger police officers treat everyone like they are criminals. When the first thing police ask you is when is the last time you went to court, no one would want to talk to you. There are good people here but criminals stopping from wherever they are on the hill and shooting down at us. I went too many funerals. I have three children and two grandchildren and I don’t want to see anything happen to any of them.”

After Roberts’ contribution several other members of the community came forward speaking out against crime in the area.

Residents complained that they were not able to use the public facilities in the area like the community centres, for fear they or their loved ones may become collateral damage in an ongoing war between rival gangs in the area.

Another resident, Hazel Smith, who is also a member of the newly formed Besson Street police counselling department, pointed out that the reason the seats were not filled was not only because of the citizens’ distrust of the police but their fear of the criminals terrorising their community.

“It is not because of the police alone that people didn’t come here, they didn’t come here because they are afraid they would be labelled as informants,” Smith said, “Why can’t someone walk down Charlotte street or Laventille Road or anywhere in Port of Spain without fear? Why do we have to be afraid? Why do people in this same building have to be afraid?”

Even as Port of Spain residents complained about the violence in their area, a 32-year-old man identified as Moses Brewster was shot and killed near the basketball court in Trou Macaque. The shooting incident occurred at about 6.45 pm.