Criminals who have fled crime hotspot Enterprise in Chaguanas since the implementation of a heightened police and army presence in the past few months will be hunted in whatever parts they are currently hiding out in.
This warning came from ASP Richard Smith, who is responsible for the Lion’s Gate project where soldiers and police officers have been deployed to work together in a bid to bring the area back to a sense of normalcy since the upsurge in crime and crime violence in recent times.
Smith disclosed that the police and soldiers working in Enterprise have underlying techniques that they are currently employing to go after the criminals.
“We know who the offenders are and we are going after them. Some have fled the area but we are pursuing them,” Smith said.
He said since the latest anti-crime project commenced on March 24, the authorities have noticed a drastic reduction in violent crimes, including murders, shootings and woundings.
“We are not going to toot our horn too early but our presence here is bearing some fruit and we will be staying here as long as it takes to ensure that the residents are safe and that they continue to go about their daily lives as usual,” Smith said.
Head of the Community Policing, Insp Chunilal Bedassie told the T&T Guardian that since February 12, police officers have been going door to door gathering information and making relevant referrals for people to get themselves involved in extra-curricula activities such as martial arts classes, village councils and churches.
He also disclosed that since the introduction of a Police Youth Club at Dass Trace in Enterprise, about 56 young people have joined and are playing an active role in the club.
“We have from both sides coming together twice a week and meeting in the middle at the Dass Trace Recreation Ground.
There they break the barriers and engage in sporting activities such as basketball, football, cricket and kite flying,” Bedassie said.
On Friday, during a walkabout in the community, there was a general feeling by residents that the “peace” being portrayed by members of the Unruly Isis is not genuine and fears that as soon as the police and solider presence moves out that shootings and murders will escalate more than ever before.
A 64-year-old resident, who did not want to be identified, told police that she still lives in fear.
“I would want you to leave the police and soldiers. I suffer from high blood pressure and because I am a praying woman I ain’t see a bullet hit me.
Bullets went straight in my bedroom and hit the bed and went straight back out. My house has bullet holes all over. For whatever reason people getting killed and I can’t bear it no more,” the woman said.
Another woman, 67-years-old said that she strongly believes that members of the Unruly Isis gang were “lying low.”
“They have a lot of strategies and they smarter than all of us here and I believe that they will continue these shootings and murders until they do away with all who they have to do away with.
It still ain’t have no peace here because I still feel stressed out and pressured. For months I suffer with stress and loss weight because of the grief.”
Clyde Debisette, 28, said he made the choice not to associate himself with a certain kind of crowd.
“I choose to work hard for a living and to earn honestly everything I have achieved thus far,” Debisette said.
Last Thursday, members of the Unruly Isis, headed by Abdul “Krysis” Wakeel, embarked on their first major peace initiative by distributing flowers, bottles of cold water and snacks along the Southern Main Road in Enterprise.
Wakeel said that the gesture was an attempt to restore peace to the community and to give back to the community in the form of saying that they were sorry for all the wrong they did and that they are changing to bring about better.
