Additional policing for festive season in Hanover, says Beeput
Published:Tuesday | November 15, 2022 | 12:06 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Residents of Hanover have been urged to exercise extra caution in conducting business throughout the parish during the upcoming holiday period even as the police gave the assurance that their numbers would be increased to man the streets.
“We know that the festive season is on. Things have started already, so business operators, we need you to be more vigilant in conducting your businesses,” Superintendent of Police in charge of Hanover, Sharon Beeput, said while tabling a report at the Hanover Municipal Corporation’s (HMC) November meeting.
“So if you have large sums of monies to be transported, please contact the police. We are not going to charge you, so do not be afraid to call us if you have money to be escorted,”she said.
She encouraged persons to be more focused as the season is usually a time when several robberies are attempted or carried out but sought to allay fears noting that as in previous years, additional police personnel would be on the streets.
“I am hopeful that my superiors will send some (additional) personnel to this division because we really need the resources. We are bleeding, and we have asked for some assistance, so I am sure that you will be seeing some additional police presence on the streets,” Beeput stated.
She also encouraged persons to seek technical advice and invest in quality CCTV equipment as this could also assist the police in the event of an incident.
She noted that there have been instances where equipment is in place and footage available, but the quality of the footage is not good enough to be used to make a positive identification.
“Don’t bother waste your time and buy the little cheap ones. Put down the money and try to purchase something that is good,” she advised.
Mayor of Lucea and chairman of the HMC, Sheridan Samuels, also appealed for residents to continue to support the police.
“It is serious where the crime situation is concerned within the parish, and we are all overly concerned about it,” Samuels said.
Beeput’s report outlined that since the start of November, two guns, 29 rounds of ammunition, and three magazines were recovered by the Hanover police. In addition, three wanted men and one suspect in a murder case were captured in the parish.
Three murders and one gas station robbery were reported as having been committed in the parish since November, with one of the murders categorised as a domestic matter for which the husband of the deceased is now in custody.
The other two murders are believed to be connected matters.
“Based on intelligence, both murders, one committed on Wednesday, November 2, and the other on Monday, November 7, are linked. A suspect is known, and we are hoping to have a breakthrough soon,” Beeput pointed out in the meeting.