1 month ago
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The Rio Claro Police Station. - Rio Claro residents welcome the stand-your-ground legislation as the area appears to have fallen victim to a string of violent attacks.
On November 25, two men armed with a cutlass and a gun, respectively, entered a San Pedro business place around 2.45 pm and tied the 62 and 50-year-old male proprietors.
The masked attackers beat their victims and ransacked their business and house before shooting the younger man in the leg and running off.
Days earlier, two masked men, wearing long-sleeved clothing, approached a waitress sweeping the lobby of a Rio Claro bar. Her screams of terror were recorded on CCTV footage as she tried to escape. However, the masked men snatched the woman and flung her to the floor.
In the two minutes and 25 seconds they were in the bar, stealing the woman's purse, snacks and other items from behind the counter.
Earlier that month, Sylvan Boodhan, 58, of Tabaquite Road, was fatally shot in the head around 8.30 am while meeting with a man in San Pedro. Residents alerted the police to the suspected killer running away, but by the time they responded, he had escaped.
These are just some of the most recent attacks which have befallen the Rio Claro community in what residents, who spoke on the condition of strict anonymity, said is a string of violence which began earlier this year and has been happening more frequently since around September.
They estimate that since then, there have been at least ten more incidents, many of which occurred in broad daylight. They admit many go unreported owing to the fear of reprisals.
One resident said that fear kept the community from cooperating with investigators. The man, who is also a business owner, told Newsday about a recent attack which was captured on a neighbour's CCTV system, but they opted not to disclose it.
"Nobody is willing to give the footage. People are saying their cameras are not working. They just safeguard themselves."
Given the patterns of the attacks, he believes the robbers may either be from within the community or have spent significant time in the area, selecting their targets.
He believes that if police officers stationed in the district were from the community, they may get a better response.
"When a police officer lives in an area, he knows the bandits, he knows the criminals because he's living in the area. He has an idea."
With Christmas and Carnival fast approaching, he was grateful for the stand your ground legislation on its way to becoming a reality.
"Stand your ground is very good and I am 100 per cent with that because people would be protected."
A San Pedro small business owner who mourned the days when "you could sleep with your door open," said an increased police presence was needed to return safety to the community, not stand-your-ground legislation.
"I have read the legislation, and the stand-your-ground legislation does not...give ammunition or protection to the homeowner."
He believes it is useless for those who may not be able-bodied or armed to defend themselves in an attack.
He also reiterated one of the opposition's biggest criticisms of the proposed law: a homeowner who uses deadly force could be charged for murder, remanded into custody and wait over a decade before his case can be determined and found not guilty.
Up to press time, Newsday was unable to reach senior officers within the Eastern Division or Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro for comment.
In November, the police service launched Operation Festive Shield, an anti-crime plan across all divisions. The plan would see an increased presence and strengthening of community relationships for the Christmas and Carnival seasons.
Home invasion bill approved in Senate
The Home Invasion (Self-Defence and Defence of Property) Bill, 2025, was passed in the Senate on December 5, without amendments, after two sittings.
Once proclaimed by the President, the legislation will create the offence of home invasion, remove a person's duty to retreat when acting in self–defence or defence of his property, allow the person to use defensive force, including deadly force, to protect himself, his property or another person in his dwelling house, and to provide for related matters.
Piloting the bill in the Upper House on December 2, Attorney General John Jeremie said the government introduced the bill because it believes the time has come to frontally address violent crime in the form of home invasions.
"It has resulted in shattered families, loss of life, a sense of violation both of the person and the sanctity of a person's home, shock and fear. It has also led to a loss of trust not only in the criminal justice system but also in those whom the public has elected to work in the best interest of all of TT and to keep us safe."
He said data from the Crime and Problem Analysis branch of the TTPS and the Central Statistics Office show home invasions have been increasing at an alarming rate over the last decade.
The bill was passed in the House of Representatives on November 26.
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