The Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has expressed “serious” concerns for the country’s tourism and investment reputation should the recent spate of armed robberies and burglaries re-emerge during the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in June.
“This is a serious concern because if it does happen, you have people here from all over the world. Barbados isn’t just cricket,” BCCI President James Clarke told Barbados TODAY on Wednesday.
“Barbados is on display as a country, as a nation, and certainly things like this, while they can and do happen all over the world, it is something that would reflect very poorly on us as a nation as these types of things are going on. So, I would expect the security during World Cup time is going to be especially tight.”
Barbados will be hosting nine matches, including the final on June 29 at the regional cricket mecca, Kensington Oval.
The chamber president said he is also worried about the impact these types of crimes could have on residents and businesses.
“Any time you are having an armed robbery situation, there is always that risk of somebody getting hurt or worse; and that is the primary concern for anybody in any business place.
“The last thing you want,” the business leader said, “is any of your staff or any customer or anybody for that matter, getting hurt or worse. So that is obviously a big concern.”
Clarke also pointed out that some types of businesses, by their very nature, cannot necessarily have the doors kept locked all of the time.
“So, therefore, people would likely need to engage the services of manned security, in addition to their recording security.”
He suggested that those businesses would also need to examine their cash management processes and take advantage of cash collection services where people don’t have to leave but can have the money transferred to commercial banks.
Clarke also had some timely security advice for operators of businesses that could help prevent potential robberies or burglaries.
“Also, people have to engage in situational awareness, be very aware of who is around them, what are they doing, what are their actions like, do they look like they are genuine customers, or do they look like they are just checking out the place,” he said.
The businessman also recommended that staff look out for distractions while dealing with customers.
“If you are a cashier and you are checking out things, you are focused on the customer and what you are doing. Like in a retail environment, if people are on their phone walking around or plugged into headphones or something like that, you might not see things that are going on. So, it is a very worrying trend.”
Clarke added: “Of course, the other thing that can help mitigate against this [robberies] is the use of credit and debit cards. So, it limits the amount of cash that’s on-premises. I think some places actually have a timed safe. You can put cash in, but nobody can get it out . . . there is a strict time until the cash collection agency comes to get it. You have to be very, very careful.”
But the chamber head lamented that these added security measures make doing business more expensive.
He said: “What this does is drive up the cost of doing business, because you have to hire additional security and so on; and it may make, depending on where you are and the type of business is, it could limit your opening hours or even where you operate, the type of products you sell or services that you offer. So, it can have a lot of wide-ranging negative impact on the business community and then bona fide people’s access to goods and services.”
Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce last week announced a breakthrough in solving aggravated burglaries and robberies with the arrest of several suspects, adding that the interventions also resulted in the seizure of five firearms and ammunition from the perpetrators.
“We are focused and resolute in continuing our investigations into these matters and also deploying our resources in the prevention of any fallout in the management of similar incidents,” the top cop said.
In a statement on Wednesday, The Barbados Police Service reminded businesses to take proactive measures against commercial burglaries.
Crime Prevention Officer Inspector Roger Babb encouraged business owners to implement simple yet effective security practices to protect themselves, their employees, and their assets. These include investing in security systems, varying cash handling routines, minimising the amount of cash readily available, securing premises, not leaving money unattended in the cash register, and leaving the cash tray open at the end of the day.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
