National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, in the wake of Saturday’s deadly gang attack at Harpe Place in Port of Spain, says there appears to be no community desire to stop gang warfare in the area. In a lengthy post on Facebook, Hinds also asked the residents of Charford Court, Basilon Street and environs whether they would go through the rituals and be back to life and business as normal by Monday. He also asked whether these deaths would prompt “a call to sincerity and determined action from them.”

Hinds was addressing the murderous incident in which five people, including police sergeant Larry Phillip, were killed on Saturday. Rudolph James, Randy Graves, Pete Noray, and Devon Jack were also murdered. Three others - Richard Pierre, Wendell Primus, and Akina Thomas - were injured and hospitalized. In the aftermath of the murders, police and soldiers were deployed to the scene as angry residents hurled abuses at the officers.

In his post, Hinds said the murderous explosion of deadly violence that erupted at Harpe Place, Observatory Street, Port of Spain, has shocked and traumatized all. He said he knew three of the dead, including Phillips, and shared his condolences with the families and friends affected by the event.

“This community and its immediate environs have hosted countless explosions of such violence over decades. This bloody event took five lives, including my friend (everybody’s friend) Larry Phillips, a Sergeant of police/bandsman, who was ‘liming’ there as he usually did, including Pete, who I knew and interacted with over many years,” he said.

Hinds said many of these communities were doing well and have done well, but the “trajectory of violence” seemed non-ending. “The police have indicated that it is the result of the gang activity. The area is dominated by gangs. Thus far, the police have had only limited success in eradicating the gangs. It can be done, but it requires a multipronged approach, including all aspects of the state’s possible response; most of all, a genuine desire on the part of the non-gang residents and business owners in these communities.”

He added that it required not only a burning desire but a sincere, unselfish, non-deceitful, clean and courageous collective response on the people’s part. “The reaction and the behavior of elements of the community, revealed, even in the videos that flowed from yesterday’s event, show that the consciousness and sincerity, the understanding of the danger that we all face, at the madness of the gangsters, is simply not present and is a long way off, in coming.

“Will Harpe Place/Techier Terrace, Charford Court, Bath Street, Basilon Street and environs go through the rituals as we always do and go back to life and business as normal by tomorrow? Or will we use this ‘madness’ as a call to sincerity and determined action for the sake of our future generations?” he asked.

The Prime Minister also addressed the incident through the Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago’s Facebook page. On Saturday, Dr. Rowley said t