THE February 27 invasion of the home of West Canje businesswoman, Ms Esther Reid was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back for residents of the fledgling Budhan Housing Scheme.
They decided it was time to have a heart-to-heart with Deputy Commander Errol Watts and his boys down at ‘B’ Division.
They invited Commander Watts and his men to what is called a face-the-community meeting, where they aired their concerns, in the hope of having them resolved. The Divisional team comprised Divisional Detective Superintendent Gary McAllister; Officer in Charge of Central Police Station, Assistant Superintendent Parks; Detective in Charge of Central Police Station, Sergeant Lawrence Thomas; and Station Sergeant O’Donoghue.
During the meeting, Ms Reid, who is also a part-time lecturer at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI), seized the opportunity to apprise the team of what transpired on the night she was surprised in her home by four armed bandits.
She told the team that having observed the men outside her home, she placed several calls to the Central Police Station but received no response.
Her last call, she said, was made after the bandits had succeeded in breaking down her door and entering her home.
She said that it was only after the bandits had taken what they wanted; assaulted her and her employee; and made good their escape that the police arrived, leaving her to believe that there was some sort of collusion between the cops and the thieves.

BETTER RESPONSE TIME
Her neighbour, Ms Hannah Seepaul, who was reportedly instrumental in inviting the lawmen to the community, recalled being robbed too, and asked those present to see what they can do about improving the response time.
“Whenever calls are made to the station, the police’s response is very slow; persons can die by the time the cops get here,” Ms Seepaul, under whose house the meeting was held, said.
Using the time she takes, driving at 40mph, to her place of business on Lad Lane, in New Amsterdam, to drive home her point, Ms. Seepaul said:
“It takes me about four to five minutes, so the police should take under ten minutes, as my workplace is a few streets away. Yet, we have to wait for over an hour for a response.
“In addition, those manning the operation room seem not to know where the places are located, or they just don’t record the messages, as we have to call several times, relating the same messages. And then they want our tone to be normal…
“Imagine! Your home is being invaded, and the operations room rank wants you to be calm and polite!”
Another resident, one Mr Oliver Ross, a schoolteacher, recalled that when his home was targetted, the response was also slow. He, however, made a salient point, in that the bandits seemingly have a well worked-out schedule, as they usually strike at a particular period.
BOLD-FACED
He noted too, that while his matter is engaging the attention of the courts, he’s still seeing the very person who is the defendant in his case frequenting the area; and just recently, he said, the man accosted a remigrant couple who is constructing their home in the neighbourhood.
Ross said when the assailant’s ploy to sponge off the couple didn’t work, he resorted to stoning them with their own concrete blocks after they told him they had no money.
Other residents in the sparsely-occupied, 75 house-lot community shared similar stories, including the current spate of break-ins of both houses and vehicles; they also supported the call for not only improved response time from the cops, but confidentiality and trust amongst the lawmen, in a bid for them to better serve and protect the populace.

TOTALLY AGREES
In response, Commander Watts said that while he will not dispute the fact that response may slow at times, one also needs to take into account that the police needs to approach a crime scene with caution.
He, however, expressed surprise at the many incidents of crime in such a small community, especially one in which the inhabitants are all professionals.
He also lamented the fact that many of the matters seem to have gone unreported, as according to the police records, the neighbourhood “is relatively quiet”.
Said Commander Watts: “Before I came here, I was briefed, and was told about three reported crimes occurred here within the last year-and-a-half.
“But, coming here, I am hearing something different; but I believe what you are saying. What I am concerned about is that most of these matters are not being reported properly to the police.”
Consequently, the Commander, who later toured the area, said considerations will be made to reorganise the community’s policing group, and hold discussion with the hierarchy of the Force with a view to having a police outpost set up in the area to serve theirs and other West Canje Communities.
He also promised to work on improving response time, and to prove his sincerity, provided residents with the number to his mobile phone and that of the divisional detective.