Quick response by the police to an early morning robbery at a liquor store in Yallahs, St Thomas, that ended with three thieves shot dead has won plaudits from residents who have expressed annoyance that their parish has been targeted by criminals.

“It was a job well done… the police are doing great work,” one resident told the Jamaica Observer as Independent Commission of Investigations officers started their probe of the Thursday morning shooting.

Police said they were alerted to the break-in at Progressive Liquor Store. A licensed firearm holder, who had seen the door of the store open, entered. However, he was allegedly attacked by a man armed with a machete and discharge his weapon hitting the thief.

The other robbers opened fire at the licensed firearm holder before entering a motor car and speeding away.

“The police pursued the car, which they caught up with in the Grant’s Pen area of St Thomas. Men were seen on the outside of the car and they opened gunfire at the police; the police returned the fire and two of the men were hit,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Oniel Thompson said.

“All three persons who were hit were pronounced dead at hospital. One firearm was seized from the scene in Grant’s Pen. Three other persons escaped in nearby bushes,” Thompson told the Observer.

“I must say that since the start of the year break-ins have been an issue for us in the Yallahs space, and we are doing everything to cauterise this kind of crime in the area,” he added.

Residents, obviously heartened by Thompson’s promise and the cutting down of the robbers, expressed satisfaction with the work done by the police.

One man said that many times when people come to St Thomas and commit robberies residents are usually blamed.

“I say thumbs up to the police. Now that the highway has been built it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get to and from Kingston. There is a lot of infrastructural development and more people are borrowing money to develop their businesses. When people borrow money to do their business and you have criminals coming inside the community and breaking into places and carrying out robberies, it tears the community down. It causes business owners not to trust the youth in the space, worse if the young men are not working,” he said.

“Most of the time the youth get the blame. Now this happened, we and the other persons are very glad that the police responded efficiently, as they should, to apprehend the criminals from outside coming into the parish,” he said.

According to the man, residents are determined that people from outside the parish will no longer be allowed to come in and commit robberies and other crimes without being challenged. They cannot pass the border line at Ten Miles Bull Bay… the police will apprehend them, it is no joke, and if we the citizens catch you, we a go nyam your food,” he said.

“There was a robbery recently about 100 to 150 metres from here. It seems that because dem bingo and got through at that time they decided come back to try another business place,” said the resident, who noted that many houses are being burgled during daylight hours.

“In broad daylight in the housing schemes, even two and three houses will get broken into and nobody sees anything until the owners come home. All people say afterwards is they saw a car here or there. People need to unite. If you have relatives coming into the communities to live you need to introduce them so everybody knows who is who,” he said.

“If we see that person doing something wrong, we can go to their relative and say that the man you introduced the other day, it was him we saw do this or that. When you don’t know, you have to be contemplating. You can’t even trust your own that is beside you,” he added.

Another resident said that thieves may have convinced themselves that St Thomas is rural; therefore, they can come in and do whatever they want.

“See it deh, dem come dead inna the show. If you are going to come into the community to break it down then you need to go. They need to meet their maker,” he said.

A part owner of the liquor store told the
Observer that he was experiencing mixed feelings. He said that he received a call between 3:30 am and 4:00 am that men were breaking into the establishment.

“By the time I came on the scene I found the door opened and I heard that a man died inside there,” he shared.

Senior Superintendent of Police Christopher Phillips, who is in charge of Area Five, said that the criminals involved in Thursday’s robbery were travelling in two motor cars. The
Observer was told that the driver of one of the vehicles was forced to stop and change a punctured tyre. That allowed the police who were chasing them to confront them more easily.

Phillips said that the men were not from St Thomas and weren’t familiar with the territory.

Police said a 9mm pistol, loaded with five live rounds of ammunition, was taken from the scene.

Phillips said that an all-out assault will be launched on criminals who believe they can come into St Thomas and carry out robberies and create mayhem at will.

“These men seem not to be from this area. St Thomas has seen an increase in break-ins, 12 more than last year. Two weeks ago there was a situation where a liquor wholesale was robbed of over $2 million. The community of Yallahs has been suffering at the hands of these persons,” Phillips said.

“It is very unfortunate that we still have people so empowered to try and take on the security forces. We are not taking any chances with St Thomas. Given the new highway facility, we know exactly what is happening on this side. That is why we have situated some police teams on the main highway to give us this kind of response. I issue a warning to criminals moving into St Thomas that it is not going to be business as usual,” he said.

“I want to just encourage and reassure the citizens in these parts that you have the full support of the police. The St Thomas commander, Superintendent Allison Byfield, and the team here are working very hard to keep you safe, and I have all confidence that they will continue to do so. We have a full mandate from the high command and we are going to carry out that mandate without any form of distraction,” Phillips added.