Escalating crime situation in Trinidad
Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-10-03 09:16:06
Contributors:
Topic: Piracy Reports 2006
Countries: Trinidad & Tobago


On Monday July 24 a group of over 100 cruisers met at the Bight
restaurant in Trinidad to consider their options to fight a crime spree
in Chaguaramas that has escalated from dinghy theft to breaking and
entering boats and finally armed robbery. Although comprehensive
numbers do not seem available, an inspection of YSATT (Yachting
Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago) records shows that in the
last half of May, 5 dinghies were stolen from boats and marinas and one
attempted robbery was foiled. So far in July, 5 dinghies or engines and
2 generators were stolen from boats at anchor and in marinas, even
though the dinghies were cabled and/or lifted out of the water. Two
boats have been broken into, robbed and vandalized. Two weeks ago, one
cruiser was robbed at gunpoint about 5PM as he walked along the Western
Main Road that connects the marinas in Chaguaramas. Last week 4
cruisers were robbed at gunpoint at 10AM when 2 men entered a maxi taxi
near Tropical Marine. Their principal target seems to have been one
cruiser who had left a nearby ATM with an obvious pocket of cash. None
of the Trinis on the maxi were robbed.

At the meeting, organized by Andy Pell on Tixi Lixi, one person with a
security industry background reported that the best deterrent to these
crimes was to catch some of the responsible parties. He recommended
that cruisers take responsibility for their belongings and keep
everything under lock and key. There were suggestions from the
participants for a shared all night dinghy patrol, a weeklong boycott
of the local marine businesses who seem to be doing little to protect
their customers, and letters to various organizations outlining
cruisers' concerns. Particularly notable were the revelations of
Bernard Bouygues, General Manager of Caribbean Yacht Works, who
appeared to be the only local marine business represented. He told of
having his boat broken into and one of his own dinghies stolen and of
the total lack of assistance he received from both the local Coast
Guard and police. He offered one of his dinghies to the group to use
for a patrol. His experience with the authorities was echoed by one
participant who had had his dinghy stolen and reported the police were
more interested in his age and weight than the details of his dinghy.
The meeting ended with a small group volunteering to pull the
suggestions into a plan and come up with additional recommendations.
Before the day was over a night time boat watch had been organized and
implemented in the anchorage at Charguaramas.

Any one venturing into Trinidad waters should hoist and chain their
dinghies and take appropriate cautions against being boarded and robbed
and robbery while traveling on land.

Carter Crawford, s/v Liberty

After a whole spate of thefts, burglaries and armed robberies in
Chaguaramas, yachties convened a security meeting this morning at 10:00
o'clock in "The Bight" at Peake Yacht Services. Andy of TIXI LIXI
organized and chaired the meeting and about 100 yachties and cruisers
showed up (at a similar meeting in March about 10 people came).
Especially invited were the Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and
Tobago (YSATT), the police in Carenage, and a representative from the
ministry of tourism. Unfortunately I did not see any of the
representatives and the local paper covering the boating scene
understandably didn't want to print things that might keep people away
from the place.

Quite a few of the people present had lost dinghies, outboards,
generators or other things from their boats and not a few of them were
victims of armed robberies where the attackers held guns to their
heads. One French sailor had his boat broken into at the reputable
marina Crews Inn. The boat got completely ransacked and the thieves had
taken absolutely everything of any value. Even the diesel generator and
the engine were gone.

One person stopped his car at a red light, when a robber smashed the
window and held a gun to his head. Another was robbed in his house and
received multiple serious stabs in the front and the back. One woman
about 70 years of age was robbed three times while taking a maxi-taxi
(minibus) from Chaguaramas to Port of Spain. She now has obtained a
permit to carry a gun. These were all local people, not visitors,
tourists, yachties or cruisers. This is not only a yachtie problem -
but yachties are prime targets for thieves and robbers.

Naturally some of these people were extremely upset, with tempers
rising and flaring. Some cruisers called for the formation of an armed
militia, which suggestion didn't receive much enthusiasm. Other people
were quick to demand all kinds of things from the local business
community and the local government. Finally, most yachties present
signed a petition to send off to the authorities, while a subgroup
discussed forming a dinghy-watch run by yachties in a revolving manner
on a voluntary basis. One circumnavigator, whose wife was on the most
recently robbed maxi-taxi (minibus) suggested a concerted boycott of
all the local businesses to draw their attention to the security
problem. He received a round of solid applause.

Amongst the other numerous suggestions was the idea to suggest a harbor
watch to the local marinas and YSATT, as they already have most of the
necessary infrastructure in place. And pretty much everybody agreed
that the SSCA, Trans-Ocean and similar organizations and publications
should be made aware of the atrocious and worsening security situation
here in Chaguaramas and Trinidad.

As it stands right now, there are quite a few boats leaving for
Venezuela and elsewhere, many of them never to return. They will do
their best to spread the word amongst their friends, acquaintances and
fellow cruisers.

Aurora Ulani, Liping & Holger Jacobsen

S/V DHARMA BUM III

August 17, 2006: Armed boarding and robbery of S/V VESLA from Norway in
Chaguaramas Bay between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m. A dinghy with several
Trinidadians boarded the boat, armed with a gun and machetes, the
boarders ransacked the boat, threatened the crew, before making off
with most of their valuables.