UNC senator: San Fernando under siege

AS another young man is gunned down, this time in Cocoyea, Opposition Senator Jyanti Lutchmedial says San Fernando is under siege by the criminal element.

In a statement, Lutchmedial noted San Fernando has been rocked by an unprecedented level of crime – specifically gun-related murders – within the last two weeks.

There have been murders at South Park Mall, Green Acres, La Romaine, High Street and Cocoyea.

Venezuelan university lecturer Andy Alberto Macias Hosein was gunned down, mid-morning last Saturday at his workplace, Ketan Jewellers, High Street, San Fernando during a jewellery heist.

Four men have since been held with his killing.

Lutchmedial was recently a first-hand witness to the out-of-control crime surge, as one of her neighbours, Salina Mohammed, 40, was gunned down in her car shortly after leaving for work. He killers remain at large.

“As a lifelong resident of San Fernando, I can say that this burgeoning murder rate is a most worrying statistic that has cast a shadow of fear over our beloved city, and it deserves immediate attention from law enforcement.

“Criminals have embarked upon a brazen campaign to attack persons in broad daylight in high traffic shopping areas, mall car parks and even residential areas.”

She chastised the San Fernando East and West MP’s – Brian Manning and AG Faris Al-Rawi – in whose constituencies the murders have been occurring, “for their deafening silence.”

She said that was compounded by the nonchalance of National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds who has referred to the distressing escalation of crime as “not new.”

She said Hinds seems wholly unbothered, while the population grows weary and increasingly fearful for their lives as communities become crime scenes.

While Al-Rawi boasts of his legislative record, she added, he cannot point to a single piece of law this administration has passed to make a meaningful impact on the crime situation.

“His constituents find no comfort in laws touted to be tough on crime while gunshots ring out around them.

“Minister Hinds, remaining true to form as a failure, has essentially abdicated his role, accepting no responsibility for the escalating level of crime under his tenure.

“In this sad and hapless context characterised by a lack of political will and sheer incompetence by the PNM, I call upon the Ag CoP Mc Donald Jacob, to immediately share his plans to specifically address the escalating crime situation in the city.”

Jacob has reportedly met with and shared his overall crime plans and intentions with the National Security Council to their satisfaction, she said.

“I call upon Mr Jacob to share his operational plans with San Fernando residents and the business community, so that citizens can have some level of reassurance that attention is being given to this worrying trend.

“One would hope and expect that recent events would have prompted Mr Jacob and his top commanders to do a comprehensive assessment of the issues facing San Fernando and have some specific and workable proposals.”

She said the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) has been raising issues related to the repair and maintenance of the CCTV camera system, which was scrapped and re-tendered, the legalisation of pepper spray which is still on the statute books, and other non-lethal weapons and more stringent border control measures to detect and prevent the entry of illegal firearms.

Yet, no meaningful answers have been forthcoming.

“The best plans, laws and intentions which continue to exist on paper do not bring comfort and certainly do not save lives.

“Criminals also appear emboldened by the abysmal detection rate of the TTPS and so it is imperative the Ag CoP address this issue.”