Although there were only three episodes of Crime Watch this week, Ian Alleyne was very active, as he went to the scenes of the tragic deaths of two children. Eleven-year-old Rehanna Briggs was found hanging at Dyer's Village, Williamsville. Alleyne was fortunate enough to get an interview with the child's mother shortly after the tragedy occurred. She said she was at work when her niece called her to tell her about the accident. Rehanna had become caught in clothes hanging on a line and had been unable to untangle herself.
The Crime Watch cameras were able to capture for viewers the actual scene where the accident occurred. Also, Crime Watch viewers were able to see the private area where Rehanna used to study, showing her desk and all of her books, including her Bible. In a very touching moment, her mother was able to read for viewers a note that Rehanna wrote which was a tear-jerking message from daughter to mother. The matter is under investigation.
In another tragedy, involving the death by fire of four-year-old Kimora Millette, of Betsy Street, La Romaine, Alleyne was also able to go to the house and view the scene. There were police and journalists there when he arrived. However, Alleyne was able to show the actual room where the fire occurred and to interview people at the scene. The room was burglar-proofed, which was possibly pivotal in the young girl dying in the fire.
One of the more controversial aspects of Alleyne's video footage was his showing of partial, charred remains of little Kimora. While Alleyne kept a discreet distance and the body was partially blocked by a sheet hanging on a clothes line, Crime Watch has earned a reputation for pushing the envelope on scenes involving tragedy when trying to get information to the public. It is this approach that has earned Alleyne a reputation for controversy.
Controversy did not escape him this week when he barged into a meeting of people trying to recover money that had been paid for a cruise. Patricia Mitchell of Enterprise, Chaguanas, sent an e-mail to CNC3 on June 16 asking that the video of Alleyne coming into the meeting not be aired, because he was an uninvited guest. Alleyne was asking questions of the organisers, as well as the patrons who remained. Most of the patrons walked out of the meeting on seeing him arrive.
Alleyne said he would continue to pursue this story in order to assist the police and any patrons who wanted to get their money back. This week, he showed a police road block taking place in Valencia. His interviews with people in the vicinity of the road block revealed general support for the efforts of the police. Tune in to Crime Watch next week for follow-up reports on these stories as well as the continuation of his spot visits to various parts of the country where police activity is under way.