ON THE same day one of his constituents - Rishard Ali - was murdered not too far from his home in Biljah Road, Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally met with residents at a cottage meeting where he asked them to take a stand against crime.

Rambally told the residents gathered at the Felicity Hindu Primary School on Wednesday evening, they have to strike back against crime.

'Crime is on the rise and we all feel the impact of it. Our homes, our businesses and our communities have become targets for dangerous criminals wreaking havoc and destruction at an alarming rate.

"We cannot afford to be complacent, thinking we will never be a victim. The reality is, crime can happen to anyone, anywhere. It has been happening at an alarming daily rate. We must come together and work together to make our country safer."

Rambally said with the murder toll now over 160, there must be sustained public pressure on the relevant authorities to devote more resources to combat the crime scourge. He said Government is failing when it comes to dealing with crime and failing on many levels.

He cautioned residents to be more aware of strangers coming into the community under the pretext of wanting to rent their premises.

'They are turning around and preying on your family members and neighbours. This must stop and the police need to be super vigilant over this situation.'

He was joined by retired police Supt Johnny Abraham, director of Crime Stoppers Darren Carmichael, Mayaro MP Rushton Paray and Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Clive Dottin. Rambally said security is not an issue to be taken lightly.

'The issue of safety and security is one that cannot be underestimated or taken lightly. It is a fundamental and basic human need.' Rambally said as MP, he has to not only listen to concerns but ensure these concerns are heard via Parliament.

He lamented the murder on Wednesday of businessman Ali who was shot during a botched car-jacking.

In the midst of calls by the business community for arms, Rambally said Ali was not given a chance to fight back as his application for a firearm user's license, though granted provisionally by former CoP Gary Griffith, never received final approval after Griffith's departure from the service.

Rambally bemoaned the attack on an elderly woman from Caroni who was robbed of $17,000, moments after she withdrew the sum from a bank at Valpark Plaza.

He denounced the home invasion in Aranguez and another one in Debe, the latter in which approximately seven young men escaped with a steel safe.

Newsday's 'Easter Gun Day' headline was also referenced as a resident said violence and murders were front and present over the long Easter weekend.

There was consensus over increased patrols and CCTV monitoring especially in high-risk areas, targeted operations to apprehend suspects, public awareness campaigns to educate residents on how to secure their homes and partnership with other agencies, such as neighbourhood watch group