Law-abiding residents of the troubled communities of Chapman Lane and New Orleans in St Michael are feeling better now that they have a 24-hour police presence, following a spate of shootings in the two areas recently.
Members of the Royal Barbados Police Force yesterday honoured their promise to increase police presence in those areas through the stationing of the force’s mobile trailer unit on the western edge of Chapman Lane on a small pasture by the Bridgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant.
While residents welcomed the presence of the mobile unit, Acting Assistant Commissioner Erwin Boyce told the MIDWEEK NATION that was not its final location.
“We are still scouting for the best place to put it . . . . We have identified some areas and we are still exploring those areas to make it more inclusive,” he said.
“Judging from [Monday] the residents welcome our presence in a more dynamic way and I think that it should give some assurance to those persons who are law-abiding that we care and we are going to provide some [protection] as it is,” added Boyce.
The increased police presence will also include members of the Special Services Unit, the K-9 Unit, mobile patrols and officers on foot patrol. (MM)
Here, Boyce (right) inspects the force’s mobile trailer as some officers look on.
