‘Crime is hurting us’By Leiselle Maraj Tuesday, October 13 2009
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Peter Kanhai...
Several business associations have come out in support of the San Juan Business Association’s (SJBA) call for gun licences in light of the increase in criminal activity in San Juan and environs.
SJBA public relations officer Abrahim Ali and president Imtiaz Ali on Sunday said businessmen were being turned down when they applied for licences, despite numerous reports of hold-ups and armed robberies.
President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce Stephen Cadiz said he believes the call was made out of frustration with the authorities not being able to handle the escalating crime.
“I do not think the majority of businessmen want to carry firearms because of the responsibility associated with it but it seems as if they have reached the end of the line after begging for security from Government and they have to find some way to protect themselves,” he said.
Cadiz said while the situation is not as bad in Chaguanas, as compared to San Juan where Abrahim Ali said 700 crimes were committed against businessmen last month, it is still a major problem in the borough.
Asked also to comment, Peter Kanhai, president of the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said there has been a similar increase in crime in Tunapuna as in San Juan.
The chamber, he said, has hosted a seminar where members addressed the increases in crime and road accidents that have occurred on the Eastern Main Road and the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.
On the questions of gun licences, Kanhai supported the call for genuine applicants to be given a fair assessment.
“We note the imbalance that non-nationals are able to acquire licences while nationals are denied them. We are asking the Commissioner (of Police James Philbert) to first give a fair hearing to genuine requests from the business community and where such approvals can be entertained, that they be expedited. We also call on persons making these requests to exercise a high level of caution with firearms should they acquire licences,” Kanhai said.
He added while one or two businessmen said they were seeking to apply for gun licences to protect themselves, others were investing in other security measures.
