The Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce (CPLCC) is calling for more resources to be allocated to police officers in the area.
Liaquat Ali, the president of the chamber, said he was not surprised to learn that there were only three vehicles at the Couva station, making it difficult for the police to effectively fight crime in the area.
Ali said several criminal hotspots were emerging in the California, Point Lisas area, and that Chinese businessmen have become the brunt of criminal activities, many not reporting crimes committed against them because of various reasons, which may include the language barrier.
Ali said criminal activities from other parts of the country were migrating into Couva.
Ramchand Rajbal-Maraj, vice president of the chamber, said people were losing faith in the police service. Rajbal-Maraj said there was a lack of police visibility. California businesswoman Denise Chinpire-O’Riley said her employees have also been robbed several times while leaving work.