Some tenants at Trincity Mall are saying the increase in criminal activities over the past few months is affecting their daily sales.
On June 22, two people were robbed of $600 each, while waiting in the parking lot of the mall. And, two days later, a gunman fatally shot social media influencer Kevon “Yank Boss” Solomon as he parked his car in the mall.
Business Guardian spoke with a few tenants on Tuesday, who said the mall’s security needs to patrol more regularly to maintain a higher level of safety.
Valentino Singh, retired editor and owner of the sports memorabilia store, Fan Club, said day by day criminals are becoming more emboldened and owners have to be concerned about meeting their monthly expenses.
“Some kind of mechanism needs to be put in place to ward off potential bandits and if that is not done, you would find that people would be sceptical to come to the mall. Some of us are also very disappointed with the management of the mall which is the Home Construction Ltd (HCL) group of companies because if you try to get on to someone at the office, some tenants are always told that they would be given a callback but that never happens.
“We would have preferred a meeting so that the store owners could have spoken and offered solutions that can help keep the public safe while shopping. No amount of sales, or promotions, will attract people to the mall if they do not feel safe,” Singh lamented.
He noted that people have expressed to him that they no longer feel safe shopping at Trincity Mall as there is now a greater sense of unease.
“The mall management appears clueless and the common ground is to come together with the tenants. We are in this together, because crime is not just confined to Trincity Mall, it’s all over the country, so we are not blaming anybody because of the situation.
“What we are saying is that when we find a solution, this is not the time for management to bury their heads in the sand, as things are only getting worse. The blind cannot be leading the blind,” the owner of Fan Club expressed.
He said despite these issues some tenants are not prepared to move to East Gate Mall, which is north of Trincity Mall along the Trincity Central Road, due to the high rents and other factors.
“The reality is Trincity Mall still has the essential stores and financial institutions for the public to run to and the mall does not have that window, hence why HCL management should address all safety issues so that the mall does not become a ghost town,” Singh said.
One tenant, who did not wish to be named, bemoaned that the management is unapproachable and there is no redress to any issue.
“The management has to understand that owners of stores work hard to build their clientele, and with the increase in criminal activities, it affects the daily sales.
The tenant said between 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, to 2023, over 30 store owners have left the mall due to the rent not being lowered and, in some cases, safety reasons.
When contacted for comment about the security concerns, HCL’s chief executive officer Richard Le Blanc said that mall management added more security personnel following the incidents.
Le Blanc also noted that a couple of initiatives were implemented, alongside the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and this was relayed to some tenants.
“Our security was instrumental in apprehending the robbers that struck at the car park recently. In terms of erecting a police post in the mall’s car park, HCL management has spoken to the head of the police service in the Eastern Division on such steps, but I cannot say for sure if that would become a reality until I get confirmation,” Le Blanc remarked.
Since 2017, Trincity Mall and its commercial centre have been up for sale.
