Overgrown vegetation is a threat to personal safety as criminal activity ticks upward, warns UPP Candidate Sean Bird

Overgrown vegetation on roadsides across the entire island has become a hazard to drivers, and it is now a threat to personal safety as it provides a hiding place for criminals.
 
For months, persons who traverse the Factory Road have complained about the overhanging trees and overgrown bush that obscure their vision and make it difficult to maneuver the roadway.
 
Now, Sean Bird, the United Progressive Party (UPP) Candidate for St. John’s Rural East, is complaining about the Renfrews area where family members reside.

Bird reports that his mother’s helper was pounced upon by an unknown assailant – who jumped from the overgrown bush on Monday afternoon, October 17, as she made her way to the home.

Although the woman managed to escape, Bird says she is still visibly shaken by the ordeal.
 
Bird, who is still upset over the incident, himself, says that crime in Antigua and Barbuda is getting out of control.

Bird says the situation in the Rural East constituency is just as poor, and residents have been attacked by criminals who lay in wait in the overgrown vegetation.
 
Referring to the female Customs officer who was murdered, earlier this year, just off the Wireless Road, Bird notes that there were overgrown bushes in which the perpetrator could have hidden. And he acknowledges that his mother’s helper could have met a similar fate.
 
The UPP Candidate is advising residents to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings and, where possible, to travel with a companion.
 
Bird believes the dire economic situation is contributing to the uptick in criminal activity, and this needs to be addressed urgently, he says.