The security of a person and property is a fundamental human right, enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of T&T.
The preamble affirms “the dignity of the human person and the equal and inalienable rights,” while Section 4 guarantees “the right of the individual to life, liberty, security of the person, and enjoyment of property.”
But in reality, many citizens are being denied these rights.
In my neighbourhood in Real Spring, Valsayn South, the brutal truth of that failure hit home in September 2023. Around 5 pm., a young UWI student was followed into his garage. Six masked men stormed his home and tied up his mother and grandmother. They left the family bruised, bloodied, and traumatised—their valuables and vehicle stolen, their dignity and safety shattered.
Soon after, within two months, our neighbourhood experienced five home invasions, all in broad daylight.
At 5.30 pm one day, two men jumped into a home where a woman sat with her 90-year-old mother on the porch. They forced them inside at gunpoint while her elderly father tried to defend them. Then, one Saturday at 11.30 am, bandits followed and drove into a yard where a mother and her two-year-old child had just pulled in their driveway. An alert neighbour sounded the air horn, and the attack was stopped.
In another incident, residents were followed home from the bank. On another day, unknown vehicles circled the area before bandits jumped into a property via a neighbour’s yard. There was also a kidnapping attempt, and two cases of extortion—notes left at business places detailing families’ whereabouts and demanding money.
Years earlier, an elderly neighbour was assaulted during her morning walk. The attacker had simply been driving through the area. We also had a cat burglar prowling the streets in the early hours, targeting six homes. Car thefts had plagued us for years.
We realised that the national security apparatus had failed us.
While some individuals could afford private security systems, many could not. So, we decided to gate our community. It was not an easy road.
We started as a neighbourhood watch group, using air horns and group chats. Eventually, we submitted a petition—signed by over 90 per cent of residents—and wrote to the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation for permission to implement a guarded barrier system at Real Spring’s entrances, via Kay Donna Roundabout and Aruac Road.
We also liaised with residents from Westmoorings to find out how they were able to start and maintain their system.
With the support of councillor Seema Ramsaran-Augustine, and both past and present TPRC chairmen—Kwasi Robinson and Josiah Austin—we received approval.
This was a shining example of cross-party collaboration, with opposing political sides working together to support the safety of their burgesses.
We committed as a community:
• 80 residents pledged monthly financial support
• We built two guard huts and installed barriers
• We hired Customise Protection Agency (CPA) Security to secure our area
• Elderly residents who could not contribute financially volunteered to be lookout points using air horns
• Others offered smaller monthly donations to support the initiative
Not everyone was on board. Some residents resisted—afraid their guests might be scrutinised, or worried about being identified due to questionable activities. Others refused to contribute but were content to freeload off the safety measures others paid for.
Since the implementation, we have had no new home invasions.
Neighbours have resumed jogging and walking. Children play outside again.
Our patrols now identify open gates, check suspicious vehicles, and remind residents about basic safety protocols. We know this isn’t foolproof, but it offers a degree of comfort.
Some critics claim gating fosters division. But in our community, we have all races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds— from retirees to business owners.
Crime affects us all. Bandits don’t discriminate.
Our MP, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen, has witnessed our success and supports a national policy initiative to quickly streamline the gating approval process for all communities—urban, rural, and agricultural.
I commend the formation of the inter-ministerial committee tasked with developing this policy.
Let our example be a blueprint for other communities.
The right to security should not depend on your postcode.
This effort, in collaboration with the TTPS, TPRC, and our residents, has created one protective layer our Constitution promised. This policy would not just build gates. It would build empowerment.
