Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago Comments on Chaguaramas Bay Crime Situation

Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-10-04 09:44:07
Topic: Piracy
Countries: Trinidad & Tobago

Noonsite has recently published several reports on the worsening security situation in Trinidad, and has received feedback on those reports that they are in places inaccurate and do not reflect the true situation. We contacted the Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT) and received the following response:

Over the past eight weeks, there has been much discussion in Chaguaramas Bay by the visiting cruisers over the changes in the level of crime in the bay. Between May and July 2006, there have been an increasing number of dinghy thefts. More recently, and for the first time known within the Chaguaramas Bay, there was the boarding of a vessel by 3 armed men. The captain and crew of the vessel endured almost two hours of threats and intimidation as well as being robbed of most of their valuables. This incident certainly increased the cruisers growing fears.

The Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT) is the marine trades association for the yacht services industry in Trinidad and Tobago. Our main goal is to develop the industry in a controlled and sustainable manner. Our strength lies in our membership (over 100 members) and we represent the small contractors, marinas as well as the supporting ancillary services that have come to the Chaguaramas peninsular to facilitate the growing number of yacht arrivals. What YSATT is not is a policing or a security force. YSATT has been under a lot of fire by the cruising community for not eliminating the crime. However, we are far from burying our heads in the sand. We recognise the fears of the escalation of crime in Chaguaramas and the potential impact that it could have on the entire industry in the short term.

On August 24th, a security meeting was hosted by the Chaguaramas Cruisers Working Group. YSATT was invited to address the cruisers to share our plans for alleviating the situation. YSATT as well as some of our member marinas addressed the group, providing details of immediate, short term as well as long term plans. The ideal long term plan would require the cooperation as well as resources of the private sector working together with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

After the security meeting hosted by the Cruisers Working Group, there has been a large amount of bad publicity regarding the crime situation in the Chaguaramas Bay. We are working towards managing the facts in a responsible and accurate manner. Some of what has been published is correct and some is definitely not.

A recent incident involving a Norwegian vessel occurred. Unfortunately there was a boarding with one of the attackers armed with a gun, the other two with a knife and machete respectively. Luckily nobody was injured during this ordeal. After the incident, the captain and crew were taken to the Police, given accommodation for free and their vessel has been stored in a boatyard at no cost for the duration of the hurricane season. All of this was done by YSATT staff and its member companies. Additionally, the Police and the Coast Guard have been engaging members of the crew in their investigations including taking them out to identify items on suspicious vessels. Unfortunately, to date, the perpetrators have not been apprehended and we continue to follow up with the authorities regarding this investigation.

Local, regional and international marine related publications have been reaching all corners of the globe with reports regarding the escalation of crime in Trinidad. The fact is that crime is escalating everywhere; however we are not here to compare ourselves with other locations, and we need to address our own issues first.

It is important that we look at the reality of the crime situation and from there try to change the incorrect perceptions out there – this will not be easy. For the year of 2006, there have been official reports of 7 dinghy thefts but the unofficial word of mouth reports nears 20. One boarding with weapons and robbery has been reported. And there have been the report of 3 muggings/robberies on the road. These figures are not ideal; we would love to realize a crime free area. A collaborative effort between all of the authorities, stakeholders and the cruisers will be necessary to reduce the threat of crime.

The private sector in the Chaguaramas area particularly the marinas and boatyards have all been beefing up security in their individual establishments. Besides the visible initiatives by YSATT, we have been and continue to liaise closely with the Coast Guard, Customs Interdiction unit and of course the local Police. The cruisers themselves have become actively involved in this fight against crime, through the establishment of the Chaguaramas Cruisers Working Group and also through a nightly “neighborhood watch” in the anchorage zone. These initiatives have had an immediate effect on the number of crimes that have occurred and to date are proving to be highly successful. Having said this, we do not believe that the cruisers should have to sustain such a system in the medium or long term. We understand that our visitors will expect a certain level of safety and security and they should not have to be the anti crime watch group for the Chaguaramas Bay.

Government has indicated that Yachting is one of the non-energy sectors earmarked for development and as such all of these problems highlighted by the cruisers are being passed on the government ministries and agencies that can make decisions and provide resources to alleviate the situation. Government has appointed a Steering Committee for the development of the Yachting Industry where all of the incidents of crime are discussed. YSATT is in the process of taking the information to the Ministerial level and it trusts that the various Government Ministers will recognise the potential effect the perceived crime rate will eventually have on the yachting sector. With the anticipated support of the Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Trade and Industry as well as the Ministry of Tourism, there ought to be a marked improvement in the future. YSATT’s role is to engage them in the going on in Chaguaramas and have them commit to assist us by providing resources, manpower and expertise to improve the conditions in the bay.

Some of the initiatives YSATT proposes to decrease the threat of crime against cruising visitors are:

· Provision of specific safety and security information – Completed through the creation of a safety and security brochure for cruisers. This is being distributed by the Customs office, the YSATT office as well as by the boatyards and marinas. It has also been posted on the YSATT website www.ysatt.org as well as the Caribbean Marine Association www.caribbeanmarineassociation.com websites. – Implemented September 2006.

·Increasing the hours of operation of the YSATT shuttle – by running the shuttle between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. there is little reason for the cruisers to have to walk on the road to get to the various marinas - Implemented September 2006.

·Increasing the security within the marinas and boatyards. Implemented September 2006.

·Implementing a marine patrol in Chaguaramas Bay. This will require the cooperation of the relevant national security agencies as well as funding from the Private and Public sector. Estimated implementation January 2007.

·Response – Should a visiting cruiser become a victim of crime in Trinidad, YSATT can ensure that once they have reported the incident to the Police, we may assist in following up and reporting back.

·Engage the Government at the Ministerial level to discuss the ongoing issues, present our proposals for implementation (marine patrols, funding, and implementation of a security group for Chaguaramas). Anticipated date, before the end of 2006.

In order for the results to be best realised we will need the following from the authorities:

·Sustainability of the patrols that have been recently implemented in the Chaguaramas Bay by the Coast Guard

·Improved police response to calls of distress by cruisers

·Assistance by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Tourism Development Company in highlighting the need for security in the bay for the visiting cruisers to the Ministry of National Security

·Response by Ministry of Tourism and/or Tourism Development Company to visitors in incidents of serious crime.

·To make greater attempts to apprehend suspected perpetrators

Of course the visiting cruisers themselves have a responsibility to themselves by:

·Being aware of their surroundings and looking out for one another

·Understanding the differences between their own countries and Trinidad and Tobago

·Not engaging in illicit or illegal activity while in Trinidad and Tobago

·Reporting ALL incidents of crime, regardless of perceived seriousness to the authorities.

YSATT continues to work with the cruising community, the private sector and the government agencies to make them understand the need for proper patrols, enforcement and care of duty by all.

We believe that Trinidad ranks as a relatively safe destination. We offer a host of contractor services, storage facilities and ancillary services. As well as yachting-specific strengths, Trinidad is rich in fauna, flora, not to mention the culture, festivals and delicious cuisine. There is much interest by YSATT, and the private sector in Chaguaramas to make the changes necessary to enhance our visitor’s experiences. Yes there was an armed robbery, in August, but the good news is that since that incident, there has not been a single crime reported in the area, petty or serious. This improvement is a testament to the commitment of the stakeholders to continue to address the needs of our visiting cruisers.

YSATT (Yacht Services Association of Trinidad & Tobago)

ysatt@trinidad.net