Tobago police are asking Tobagonians not to panic after an alleged drug dealer was gunned down on Wednesday night in Plymouth.
Police said 42-year-old fisherman Anthony Maynard was with a group of men near Plymouth Junction when he was shot dead in a drive-by shooting around 10.30 pm.
Three other people were injured and were transported to the Scarborough General Hospital for emergency medical treatment, where up to last evening they were in a critical but stable condition.
Tobago has had nine murders so far in 2024. For the same period last year, the island had six, which represents a 50 per cent increase in murders.
Regarding the latest killing, investigators suspect drug and gang violence may be the motive.
With a spike in murders, Tobago police are now promising to regain control of crime.
Snr Supt Rodhill Kirk told Guardian Media, “We are going to get to the bottom of this. But we are urging the public to be vigilant with their surroundings. We don’t want you to walk about in fear, but at the same time be aware.”
He again called on the public to work with the police to reduce crime and criminality.
The latest murder came a week after 29-year-old Nekisha Sandy was shot dead, a stone’s throw away from Wednesday night’s drive-by. She was cornered by two gunmen and shot multiple times.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine is promising Tobagonians that the Tobago House of Assembly will do all in its power to arrest the spiralling crime situation on the island.
Speaking yesterday, he said the situation has now become worrying and said ‘paradise’ cannot be lost.
He said, “We are working hand in hand as hard as possible. As strategically as possible to arrest the situation. I’m insistent that Tobago, we cannot lose another paradise. Tobago will not be lost in this battle; we will win this battle.”
Commenting on the recent reappointment of Erla Harewood-Christopher as Commissioner of Police, Augustine raised concerns about the selection process, saying Tobago must have an input.
“I think the time has come for us to take another look at how we go about selecting Commissioners of Police. I don’t think we have the best process, and I don’t think the process we have has always brought to the table the best talent.”
He pointed out the implementation of modern strategies, technology, and critical thinking skills as key to combating crime effectively.
Once this is done, Augustine said he has faith the commissioner will help the island win the fight against crime.
“The challenge we face is an extension of that the country faces, which is one with illegal firearms. The drug trade and the interplay between those elements and the community.
“We are insistent that we should never get to the point where it is beyond control, and while what we are experiencing is an escalation to what we are used to, we will not be comfortable until we are able to turn to the kind of situation that we view as normal.
“We can’t get a handle on crime if communities remain silent while this thing runs away from us,” he lamented.
“We recognise the times we live in, and we cannot sit idly by and say it’s not our responsibility.”
Gangs spreading
on island
As the island’s murder count climbs, chairman of the Tobago Division of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce Curtis Williams has called on Harewood-Christopher to make Tobago a priority in her crime-fighting efforts as she serves a second one-year term in office.
He made this call hours before Wednesday’s murder, in a sit-down interview with Guardian Media.
While he had mixed views on the extension of her service, he too is confident in her abilities to reduce crime on the island.
“Some of the issues we see hopping up in the medium term is crime of gangs. We would push to the ACP to treat with the gang culture,” he said.
“That gang issue is spreading through the island. Our members are concerned about what is happening with crime because it doesn’t send a good message to investors.”
He said the business community is committed to supporting the police.