Despite increased police presence, people who live in Cascade are still falling prey to bandits and robbers. Last week, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams spoke of a "phenomenal"?drop in serious crime. But in a telephone interview yesterday morning, Derek Johnson, who heads a community group in the St Ann's/Cascade/Hololo area, said although there had been a good response from police to reports of the robberies, they continued almost on a daily basis.
Johnson explained that he and his neighbours believed the thieves live in communities off the Lady Young Road in Morvant, which borders Second Avenue in Cascade. "Recently, they were breaking into residents' vehicles which were parked on the road to steal their car batteries," Johnson said. "We have met with the police regularly in the past. In response we have seen mobile patrols and even walkabout patrols from them."
He said the patrols did not seem to bring tangible results, and residents were repeatedly targeted by the same group of bandits. Another resident, who did not wish to be identified, said the affected communities had started a neighbourhood watch programme to supplement police efforts. The resident explained that recently, attentive residents were able to identify a strange car seen doing "surveillance" of homes in the area.
"We passed the information on to the police, but we didn't get a response or update," the resident said. The resident explained that in the most recent robbery, at a home at De Lima Road, Cascade, a resident left his garage door open while he went to the supermarket. When he returned two men were waiting in his garage to rob him.
The street is home to attorney Vernon De Lima, SC, as well as to former Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) chairman Calder Hart, before he migrated. Contacted yesterday, senior police in the Port-of-Spain Division admitted there were still regular reports of robberies in the area. New strategies are being considered and formulated to reduce the crimes, the source said.
They warned that while residents should not take justice in their own hands, they should remain vigilant and cautious. Some of the crime-fighting initiatives are expected to be implemented from next month.