Police raises alert level in Old Harbour

This was conveyed in a note to the business community by DSP Damion Manderson, commander in charge of Old Harbour – a sub-division of St Catherine South Police Division.
 
In the note, posted yesterday, DSP Manderson said: “I am encouraging every business operator within the Old Harbour town centre and on its outskirts to elevate/increase your/staff level of alertness at this time. This as information is suggesting that criminals may be seeking to target our area today or in the near future (robberies, break-ins or other crimes). Please bring to my/police attention any unusual or suspicious activities seen by day or night. Keep safe and have a good day.”

Elaborating further on the importance of this warning to the community, the senior crime fighter added during an interview with Old Harbour News: “Most of or all of our major robberies that we have had in the town centre in recent months would have taken place on a Thursday. We have reasons to believe that they are connected with major robberies that take place in adjoining and other divisions such as Clarendon and St Elizabeth and Manchester.”

Yesterday’s daring robbery in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth which resulted in the death of a security guard and the hospitalization of two others is a stark reminder of how brazen criminals are becoming, Manderson said.

Businesses handling hard cash such as micro financial institutions are the preferred target by these criminals, he told Old Harbour News, pointing to last year’s robbery at the PC Bank in Old Harbour as a reminder worth noting. Based on information at their disposal presently, the top cop said the police are not in a position to issue names of any suspect in relation to the alert level issued.

He is urging operators and owners to implement every step necessary to improve security of their business as criminals are becoming more desperate to survive amid the prevailing coronavirus pandemic that has triggered one of the worst collapses of the global economy in history.

“If everybody is alert it’s highly likely that we will pick up something or we’ll be able to deter something,” Manderson said.