‘A’ Division Commander meets stakeholders on crime

Drug and alcohol abuse by school children loitering at minibus parks in the city was among the issues raised by members of the public when they interfaced with ‘A’ Division Commander Marlon Chapman on Tuesday.

It was the first stakeholders’ meeting hosted by Chapman since he took up the command of the Division.

The meeting was held in the compound of the Brickdam Police Station and was attended by representatives from various stakeholder groups along with senior officers of the Division.

The aim of the meeting was to discuss issues affecting the business community, religious bodies and communities in the Division and to come up with solutions.

During his brief opening remarks, Chapman said that he was aware of some traffic issues in Georgetown, which are currently being dealt with. He said apart from this, the Division is also continuing to focus on the crime situation. “I am happy to say that we are operating at a decrease in serious crime for ‘A’ Division,” he added.

Among the issues raised by the stakeholders was the large number of children, particularly those from secondary schools, who loiter at the parks before and after school hours as well as their use of marijuana and alcohol. Also highlighted were the need for patrols in certain areas to prevent the occurrence of crimes, traffic congestion, vehicles with LED lights and tinting, and confidentiality of information between the police and members of the public.

One participant complained about persons visiting the Shell gas station on Sheriff Street in the afternoon hours to consume alcohol and smoke.

According to him, when they are approached by staff of the facility about their behaviour and the fact that smoking is prohibited on the site, they are subjected to abuse and it causes chaos. In one instance, he said one member of the staff had a gun pulled on him recently. It was noted too that the proprietor of the station was forced to close down his business for couple days last week due to the situation.

Chapman promised an immediate intervention and an officer was expected to schedule a meeting with the proprietor to discuss the issue and the way forward.

While the police were aware of some of the issues raised, which they said they are currently working on, others were new but immediate interventions were promised.