Days after a daylight robbery in San Fernando claimed the life of jewelry store worker Andy Hosein, a new anti-crime initiative was launched in the southern city yesterday.
San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello explained that the plan, which was in train before the fatal robbery occurred, will see a heavy police presence on the streets.
Speaking with reporters on High Street, Regrello explained that following the murder, Ag Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob on Tuesday chaired a meeting between himself, the business chamber, TTPS and Municipal Police as they hatched out the details of the plan.
He said the deployment and policy mobile patrol initiative was a collaboration between the Municipal Police and the TTPS to clean up in the inner city.
“This exercise was been planned for more than two weeks now. Unfortunately, we could not get all the bodies, the stakeholders together and it may have seem that it happened after the murder but that is not so. This has been a work in progress.”
Confident that the plan will work, he said, “We have about 50 officers on the road today. We doing mobile patrols. We are looking at people who are around the city without purpose, of whom questions will be asked. We looking at loitering and we looking at the traffic congestion as well and stop and search if required.”
Meanwhile, San Fernando Greater Area Chamber president Kiran Singh said the business community was left in a state of shock after last week’s fatal robbery at Ketan Jewellers.
Noting that customers were also left in fear, he said they were comforted by an increased police presence on the streets.
“This show of force here today will demonstrate the lack of tolerance that the police service and not take from the bandits anymore,” he said.
Singh also gave the assurance that the business community and the city corporation will be on the heels of the police service to ensure that there is a consistent police presence in the city.
