The crime upsurge throughout T&T in recent times is not to be used as political mileage for political games.
“Crime is a social issue not political. It is a social issue and problem which must be dealt with and nipped from the bud.” Those were the words of CNC3’s Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne as he weighed in on the increasing number of murders on a daily basis.
Alleyne was speaking during his programme on Thursday when he showed shocking footage of the bodies of the two schoolboys who were dragged out from a taxi by masked gunmen and gunned down.
“These children were killed in cold blood. The innocence still on their faces.
“These are children going to school that had their lives snuffed out. This is such a terrible and sad situation,” Alleyne said.
He also took the opportunity to publicly state his position on the appointment of a Commissioner of Police.
Over the past three days in Parliament, there have been debate of a private motion by Opposition members to annul the order for changes to the selection process of the CoP and Deputy CoP.
“Commissioners past and present, local and foreign, have come and gone and still here and we are still seeing the crime rate going up. Who we need in that position is someone who has worked on the ground and knows the culture, background and who has interacted with the people at their level.
“Sometimes all you need is someone with common sense and not necessarily the ones who carries certificates, diplomas, degrees, etc. The ones with on-the-ground experience may very well be the right ones,” Alleyne said.
Alleyne assured that he will be paying close attention to Thursday’s double murder in which students of the Success Laventille Secondary School Denelson Smith, 17, and Mark Richards, 16, were killed while at Upper Picton Road, Laventille.
The two Form Four students were on their way home with two other classmates when gunmen stopped the car they were in, ordered all the children out and shot the two teens.
Smith collapsed and died near Fatima Trace, while Richards died a short distance away. Smith lived at Mulrain Trace, Picton, and Richards at Sogren Trace.
The incident, which occurred at about 3.05 pm, sent shockwaves among residents.
One resident told Crime Watch she has been living in Fatima Trace for decades and has never felt so unsafe until the killings.
Alleyne said information was already coming to him about the shooting and added that he had no fear in launching his own investigations. He also promised to visit the Picton Road, Laventille, area soon.
Alleyne also showed footage this week on the Central murders of Maurice Douglas, 28, of Hummingbird Drive, Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas, and Lisimba Daniel, 34, of Chris Terrace West, Enterprise.
In the first incident, at about 7.30 pm on Monday, Douglas was at his home when he walked to the front of the house.
A short while after several loud explosions were heard. He was later found dead by his mother, Janice, 54 years, owner of J’s Delectable Delights of the said address.
Douglas was shot multiple times about the body.
In the second incident, at about 12.20 am on Tuesday, Daniel was walking north along Mc Carthy Street, Enterprise, when he was ambushed by a gunman who shot him in the head and right leg.
In relation to Daniel’s murder, Alleyne said he received information as to who are the alleged killers. He also disclosed that Daniel, who is mentally challenged, was allegedly robbed by his same killers about one week before he was shot dead.
A businesswoman, Guyanese national, Sumintra Hamid, on Thursday came to Alleyne for help saying she, along with two of her workers, were badly beaten while at her store in Port-of-Spain by three other Guyanese nationals that said afternoon.
Hamid gave information that the trio, after the attack, left to go to the Piarco International Airport where they were expected to board a flight back to Guyana.
Alleyne immediately made a call to the Airport security personnel and police officers to be on the alert of the three people, whose pictures and names he disclosed on live television.