Armed robbers get less than $100 from gas station
(CNS): Update Friday 2:50pm-In the second armed robbery targeting gas stations this week, police say that two armed men shot their way through the locked door of a George Town gas station early this morning – and stole less than a hundred dollars. About 4:30am police received a report that two female attendants had been working within Delworth’s gas station, West Bay Road, when they heard shots being discharged at the door, shattering the glass. The terrified attendants locked themselves in the office as the two suspects, who were dressed in dark clothing, came in through the broken door. The suspects grabbed the cash tray and ran off. Neither of the attendants were injured in the incident, but both have been left shaken by the ordeal.
RCIPS armed officers, who had been on mobile patrol a few hundred yards away, heard the shots and immediately headed towards the location. As they reached the gas station they saw a car with two people on board drive past them at very high speed, travelling from the direction of the gas station onto West Bay Road. Suspecting that the occupants may have been involved in the armed robbery, the officers gave chase and stopped the car a short distance away. A search was carried out and a quantity of ganja was found secreted in the fuel flap area of the car. The two men were arrested on suspicion of possession of ganja, but nothing was found to suggest that the occupants of the car had been involved in the robbery.
Enquiries into the robbery continue and this morning Chief Superintendent John Jones praised the owner and staff of the gas station for doing all the right things and taking the necessary safety precautions to prevent the attendants from being injured.
“Last year when we were experiencing an increase in gas station robberies we spoke with owners and staff and provided security advice, such as keeping doors locked and making sure staff had somewhere safe and secure within the premises,” he said. “These two ladies did exactly the right thing, they remained calm despite the terrifying circumstances and they are now in the process of providing statements to our officers.
“As we said yesterday, the people responsible for these crimes are using guns indiscriminately. Until we get those responsible off the streets all business owners need to work with us, not only to make sure they try to make it as difficult as possible for the robbers to gain access, but most importantly to make sure that appropriate measures are taken to keep their staff as safe as possible. We have increased our mobile patrols and armed capability significantly and in fact officers were only a few hundred yards away when they heard the shots this morning. But unfortunately, no matter how much we would like to position an officer in each gas station, restaurant or business premises, we do not have the resources to do that. That’s why we need the community to continue to assist by calling in any suspicious activity.”
Just two days ago (Wednesday 13 July), a 57-year-old woman was shot as she was leaving Lorna's Texaco in Bodden Town, where she worked. A masked man threatened the woman and grabbed her handbag, then shot her in the shoulder and knee before running off with her bag.
Last night officers from the RCIPS once again visited business premises to deliver safety leaflets to staff and discuss security issues.
The Chamber of Commerce has also thrown its weight behind the efforts of the RCIPS and is asking business owners to reviewtheir security measures .
Chamber President James O’Neill said, “It seems another line has been crossed as our community struggles to comprehend the violent crimes committed recently against two small local businesses. We are confident that the responsible persons will be caught but the Chamber urges business owners and employees to be extra vigilant through their day to day operations.
"At the same time let us remember that we cannot let these incidents change us as a community and we must not allow ourselves to be led by fear and distrust. It is important for all businesses and residents to work together with law enforcement officials. If have any information please contact the police or use the Cayman Crime Stoppers confidential tipster line.”
Anyone with information about the robbery should contact George Town Police station on 949-4222 or the confidential Crime Stoppers number 800-8477 (TIPS).
Category: Crime
What worries tthe most is that these punks know they won’t get much yet they do it. I believe that some do it for fun or some kind initiation. I am afraid it’s only going to get worse before it get better and someone will get killed. i beg everyone to keep you eyes open and become an instrument that can stop a crime or reporting it. We have to start to look for each other or else dog will eat our supper. And please Mr. Premier and Mr, Baynes no more report that crime is down because it’s not the truth or if it is they wait till you say it. God Bless, Michel Lemay
if the police were so close why were they able to get inside then into a car and drive away. Most people can run a few hundred yards in seconds. Touting this as a sucesss is a bit much. Once again at best someone is arrested but nothing of substance will come of it. The crime on Grand Cayman overall may be down but none cares about the piddly offences that have dropped when armed or violent crimes have increased at a rate that makes working and living there unsafe. When you cannot control the real crimes waving stats that say crime is down is no better then a one armed man going to play cricket.
"But unfortunately, no matter how much we would like to position an officer in each gas station, restaurant or business premises, we do not have the resources to do that."…
Really John? Really? XXXXX What exactly ARE your resources doing then?
Great point by this poster though. So USG heard the shots, rushed to the location from a few hundred yards away (at 60mph a mile only takes one minute..) and yet the perps had time to enter the premises and conduct a full robbery… hmm…
You know what? The RCIPS are as confident they will get away with whatever they do or say as the criminlas are. Both are confident they will NEVER be brought to account…
I remember an incident years ago of a safe being removed from a property in george town with a chain attached to a car bumper. The idiots then went to the added trouble of cutting open the safe with a welding torch only to find NOTHING inside. The safe was recovered from the bottom of the Georgetown harbor some time later. Really you would think these loonies could figure out they would make a better living sweeping the streets, since they obviously don't have the intelligence to do anything else?
I really think that it's time for the UK to send around 5000 military troops to Grand Cayman. You send teams, in the hundreds, to every WELL KNOWN crime area/'rough part of town' (west bay, dog city, windsor park, bodden town etc.) and you're bound to find out who's doing what. Yet, there's a hook. Its got to be a one-time sweep, performed with surgical precision. Cut power to the homes (maybe even the entire district!), disconnect phone services, dont give anyone time to notify their fellow criminals that police are coming around looking. We have NO laws (to my knowledge) that require for search warrants to be obtained. There's really nothing (other than lack of $$$) stopping the RCIPS, along with these task forces, from busting into peoples houses, searching the premises, searching the backyards, even tearing out their furniture and searching for these damn weapons/drugs. Time to take REAL action, it might seem like some kind of far-fetched action movie but its what it will take. Otherwise, we'll continue in the same trends until nobody wants to come here anymore….i know this is going to be controversial (spare me your heated rebuddles) but its just an idea….thoughts? until resolution, my prayers are with these islands cuz they really need em
-born in america, raised all my life in an old highly respected cayman family
No poverty is not a contributing fact in the prolifiration of crime, it is drugs and the higher cost of living. Stay asleep don't wake up because the reality will be too much soon (let the importation of poverty continue). I will leave you with Holland for an example and I don't see the level of desperation like in Cayman and they have much more drugs and a higher cost of living… yet I beg to differ when you prove it wrong to say that "Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime".
It is very sad and unfortunate to learn of the chaos that is taking root in our society. Aristotle said "Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime".
It isn't poverty causing this crime. It's a mixture of a lot of other things plus need for drugs but poverty is not a main cause.
Anon 1107 be careful that you are not caught saying that the poor people are committing all the crimes. I dont think you will get support from many. In fact I would expect a record thumbs down.
I will simple say that it is very hard living in cayman with the cost of living the way it is and there are those taking shortcuts.
we need some serious crime fighters I am on the road every night never ever get stopped by the police yet i hear they have step up searches I am realy getting scared now.
Let's just close up all these gas stations etc at say 8:00pm. Do we really need this all night service in this tiny place since we can't police it safely? We all just need to adjust our habits to not needing these places open at ungodly hours. Who in Cayman needs a gas station open at 4:30 am????
Better than an alarm. Instead of the robber getting $100.00, how about letting each one have $0.63? 63 cents of 158 grain lead alloy traveling at 854 feet per second (no running away from that!). 63 cents. That would be the last thing they ever take from an innocent person or upstanding business. 63 cents = a 38 Special bullet. Arm the police.
I am still asking the question, why is it that these gas stations, which are being robbed nightly do not install a high pitched alarm like a train horn and it is activated inside when a robbery takes place. This will alert bystanders, passers by, neighbours, to look out, and have the opportunity of seeing something. If this was installed, the two workers could have sounded off the alarm as soon as they heard breaking glass, and persons outside would be aware. This gas station robbery is becomming a big joke XXXXX
My gosh. This gas stations should have been surrounded by police in 2 min and all roads blocked. All police force should be on duty 24 x 7 since the first shooting. Don't they have radios???
Oh but don't worry…… they'll get on the scene QUICK TIME now with the new high-powered vehicles they just purchased….. you'll see them on the road soon…. hopefully they'll be equipped with some quality radios too…. let's see if that makes a difference….. YEAH RIGHT….. WHAT A JOKE….
so you think the police just be sitting at the station all night. Police have to deal with other reports too, sometimes non stop. Instead of criticizing so much, which is so easy to do why don't you all see how you can do your part to help.
It really amazes me some of the foolishness that people put on paper. Some people just cannot see further than the point of their nose, and their brain is only programmed to condemm the police force and the Government. For pete.s sake use una head sometime for something else except a hat rack..
Maybe it was the getaway car, but the driver got scared and left without the gunmen (like the Grand Harbour liquor store robbery) when he saw the flashing lights headed in his direction. Driving at high speeds at 4:30am with nothing more than a spliff in the gas tank does seem suspicious.
Don't worry about it folks. Mac and the cops say crime still down.
Our sincere concern and prayers go out to Mrs. XXXXX who fell victim at the recent shooting the gas station in Bodden Town. And now another business is targeted.There is no excuse for this but instead an explanation which we need to take very seriously.
As we recall the election of the United Democratic Party was widely hailed as a giant step forward for PPM haters and party politics. Caymanians however, may remember this administration as a giant step back for the working class and Cayman’s Youth during a period of deepening alienation, anger and despair in the Cayman Islands from district todistrict. These shootings are a result of socioeconomic decline, spurred by greed, political bigotry and anarchy. Our newly elected government has been in power for the past two years and nothing has been done to create jobs and put people back to work. Young people are graduating year after year by the hundreds and thousands and nowhere to go.. Our present systems and policies XXXX to generate revenues from the continual grant of work permits to fill jobs that many of our young people are qualified to fill. Meantime our young grads are released into our society with no hope, a blighted future, and no opportunity to secure a permanent job in order to make an honest living in their own country that they love. This is not only disheartening but also shameful that our young people in their hopeless state feel that they have to take back from society what they believe is rightfully theirs’ engaging in acts of violence, such as armed robberies, shootings etc.
Never in the history of the Cayman Islands, have the people faced such devastating and oppressive conditions: high expectations and hopes now running up against a reality of vanishing jobs away from its people, and occupied by work permit holders. Excessive government spending and a fractured and fragmented leadership is responsible. As the present administration is determined to bar any likely positive change to ensure employment of duly qualified Caymanians to fill jobs for which they are being denied; anger, even violence; alternatively, the poor working class has fallen prey to this new kind of passive despair and anarchy as hope disappears from our society day after day. The flash back of the UDP Minister of Education’s most damaging statement that "Caymanians are not employable" to date the minister has not offered a statement of apology to the people of the Cayman Islands.. This lack of good leadership characteristic, and breach of public trust, portrayed by the Minister can only yield negative results such as social unrest, crime and violence.
It is with sadness that I note that our elected Legislators are not even aware of their responsibility to the society which in they were elected to serve their constituents . The apparent position taken by the aforementioned is no doubt oblivion to the reality of how sound leadership is defined and that creating jobs and putting people back to work is fundamental to successful planning and organizing the demographics in attempt to promote or ensure prosperity and a crime free society.
The Local Press has not at all been intoxicated with this new leadership and has led the media to zoom in on the new crisis of crime escalating, the threat to our peoples’ freedom of democracy now stalking the Cayman Islands The new leader of the UDP political party was thought to be the new savior of the economy but what a surprise. The press choirs songs of hope and change that was coming our way have now taken shape to lend the people a voice to speak their minds freely in their exercise of freedom of speech threatened by this new administration..
But as the rosy glow of May 2009 surrounding the administration and all its works slowly dies away, many Caymanians are now taken aback at the rise in crime, the political oppression and social injustices committed against them by their elected leaders. The new song is an early call for change..
Yes…I can see today that Crime is way down! Maybe the Police should stop bragging about how good the crime rate is and get out of your air conditioned cars and do something! I personally had to threaten 2 individuals away from breaking into a home in my neighbourhood. After calling the police and no one showing up I have made the consious decision to start taking matters into my own hands. The next time I see ANY form of criminal activity the police won't be called…the men with the zippered bags will need to bring their wagon! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!