- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 24/Jul 06:28

Crime suppresses San Fernando shoppers

CRIME and the ongoing state of emergency (SoE) have suppressed shopping activity in High Street, San Fernando, with those who came out saying they were only getting the essentials to return home. On the afternoon of July 23, High Street was vacant of its usual crowds. With a walking stick in hand, Sandra Maharaj, 77, of Freeport, exited a car to make her way to a puja store to purchase incense after visiting her doctor. She told Business Day she tries not to go out shopping because she fears for her safety. If she does go out, it’s only for the essentials. She is not alone. A 50-year-old Piparo mother said she, too, fears for her safety and no longer takes the time to stroll the streets, taking in what’s on offer. She was there with her daughter and said while they were shopping: "We're staying alert." An employee of one store on Upper High Street said they have not noticed a decline in patronage from loyal customers but admits there has been a drop in foot traffic on the street, leading to a reduction in the number of people popping into the store to browse and make an impulse purchase. "We used to have a rush. Right now, this is real slow for us. We are not accustomed to this." She said just last week, a customer was parked in a nearby street with her children in the vehicle when a man attempted to open the door to rob them. Fortunately, she said the customer drove away to safety. The worker said snatchings are prevalent on High Street and would witness them almost weekly. She said there has also been a sharp increase in the number of customers opting to pay with credit or debit cards as they try not to walk with cash. But crime does not only target customers; store owner Premanand Dulan has also fallen victim to people snatching items and running out of his store. [caption id="attachment_1168220" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Gary Kalliecharan, CEO of La Pique Plaza, San Fernando, talks to Business Day about the effects of crime on businesses on July 23.[/caption] He has, since then, strictly enforced his policy of refusing entrance to people with hats, hoodies or sunglasses. Dulan believes the police presence during the state of emergency is welcomed, but they need to be more regular. "Okay, yes, because of the SoE you have more police patrols, right, but they need to be sustained through the course of the day. Not just a certain time. "You're seeing a bunch of police walking on High Street, but after that you’re not seeing anybody." He said these patrols need to be sustained even outside of the state of emergency, as a snatching incident recently occurred shortly after the patrol passed. La Pique Plaza and Pegasus Security Services Ltd owner Gary Killiecharan said while crime is an issue in San Fernando, it’s no different than elsewhere in the country. He said while incidents occur, he does not believe there is any major spike ongoing. Killiecharan admitted this would have an impact on business, but believes the health of the economy plays an even bigger role in determining business success. "That is something that has taken a dive consistently over the last couple of years, at least since covid19. "It’s just been from bad to worse, and you could see that in the revenue that is floating around in the country." Kalliecharan said he is encouraged by what he’s seeing with the newly appointed Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro, whom he described as being proactive. "I think he would make a good impact with what we have seen over the last couple of days here with respect to the recovery of this kidnapped young lady. "That’s fantastic. I am encouraged by that." Most business owners agreed that the condition of the economy impacted business more than crime. Also sharing this sentiment was one store owner who was attacked and robbed in her shop on March 21. She did not want her name or business identified due to the attack. Dulan said since the pandemic, he has seen a 60 per cent reduction in business and believes other owners experienced similar.   The post Crime suppresses San Fernando shoppers appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.