Armed robbers attack another Beryllium team

Head of Corporate Communications at Guardsman Group, Commander George Overton, says yesterday's attack on a Beryllium security team in Harbour View, St Andrew, shows the level of lawlessness and total disregard for lives within the nation.

"The biggest of the issues is when you can discharge high-powered weapons in the middle of a shopping centre in the middle of the day shows the total disregard that these gunmen have for bystanders and citizens of the country who are going about their business. This is the big issue that we have to deal with as a nation, and the fact that these guys are able to put together and perpetrate this type of crime with the frequency is another issue that we have to deal with," he said.

According to Superintendent Tommilee Chambers, commander for the Kingston East Police Division, about 12:55 p.m. the team of security guards was servicing a Jamaica National ATM at the Harbour View Shopping Centre when they were attacked.

"Other guards were providing cover outside while the others were inside the ATM. While inside, men alighted with high-powered weapons and opened fire at the team. The guards resisted the attacks and the men fled the scene. One of the security guards received minor injures. The men are yet to be located but the two getaway cars were found abandoned along March Drive and the other in the Shooters Hill area," the senior cop said.

This year, there have been multiple attacks on teams from Beryllium, which is part of the Guardsman Group. Prior to yesterday, the latest attack was in August, in which five bystanders were shot by gunmen at Scotiabank's Ward Avenue location in Mandeville, Manchester. The gunmen escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. One of the injured eventually died.

Overton said that the teams are being vigilant, knowing that they are being targeted by criminals due to their job.

"You have to have eyes in all parts of your head and body and you have to be very aware of what is going on around you. Yes, there has to be a heightened awareness and there has to be a steadfastness to the duty, and it is not quite what we signed up for but it's what we are doing," Overton said.