POINT Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr says claims that Borough Day celebrations are fueling crime can hurt the international image of the event and TT.
“Absolute nonsense,” Richards said dismissing the claims by Anthony Williams, political leader of the TT Democratic Front.
Point Fortin is celebrating 43 years since it achieved borough status in 1980 and has planned a series of cultural and other events beginning April 19 and ending on May 8.
“Any political aspirant making a blanket statement like that is just damning the bridge that helped to create this gem that has opened up TT to the world.”
Richards said Borough Day celebrations are internationally known and such statements, without empirical evidence, could have a devastating effect on the event and the community.
He said the celebrations have become the biggest event outside of Carnival. It started in the mid-eighties to bring economic activity to the community.
At that time, he recalled, Point Fortin was experiencing economic downturn with the removal of Trintoc (the then oil company) from the area, similar to what is happening now with closure of Trinmar.
Referring to a video, posted on social media, of a robbery at a Chinese grocery in Fanny Village, Williams contended that for a small place like Point Fortin, there was too much crime.
In addition to murder, he said there were incidents of house breakings, robberies and threats by gangs to the business community for protection money. He also criticised Richards and the People’s National Movement (PNM) for mismanagement and said this was the reason for constituents turning to crime.
Richards would only agree that crime was concerning, not only to him, but all of TT.
He expressed worry that bandits were young people who are turning to a life of crime rather than opting for incentives offered by government to educate themselves or get a skill.
Youth development programmes, he said, were one of the long-term measures to treat with young people involved in crime .
Richards admitted it is a hard sell, as people are not always receptive.
Driving around constituency to hand out forms to young people to register for the various programmes, which also offers a stipend, has not always yielded fruits, he also admitted.
“It is only so much a man can push someone to have ambition if they don’t have it or don’t want it, but I can’t put my hand up in the air and give up.
“I live here, I have three sons and a daughter. I have a responsibility to them and to get young people in these programmes. I don’t want my daughter growing up and being attracted to a young man who is not up to standard.”
He also dismissed the theory by Williams that people were carrying out robberies because they are hungry.
“Did you see what they stole, alcohol and cigarettes? There was a shelf with bread, biscuits and snacks. If I am hungry, I don’t want rum to drink.
“When people are hungry they come to my office and get hampers. When I don’t have, I go to Chris Peping supermarket, the same Chinese grocery they w
