…proprietor tells of lackadaisical police attitude
THE Shell La Union Service Station, West Coast Demerara, was robbed once again yesterday morning.
The owner, Ramesh Sugrim, who was the lone security guard on duty, said he was aroused by a noise at his property at about 03:15hrs and when he got up to investigate, he saw a man in the compound pushing two full gas bottles away. He called the Vreed-en-Hoop Police on his cell phone.
Mr. Sugrim added that by then he saw three men pushing gas bottles they had removed from the cage in the compound.
He related that he was scared as the men started moving towards him, and he discharged his licensed firearm into the air, causing them to run away.

The police arrived about 20 minutes later and took Sugrim to the Vreed-en-Hoop Station where he gave a detailed report, and he was told to return later in the day.

He returned later and was told that there was no rank
in the Criminal Investigation Department and he would have to call again.
Mr. Sugrim obviously frustrated at the lack of police cooperation in this and other robberies at his premises spoke of the many robberies he experienced.

He stated that in 2001 the building was set alight during  political disturbances; on May 19, 2002, 20 full cooking gas cylinders were stolen removed from the premises; on September 4, 2004, the place was attacked and robbed by a group of gunmen, who got $5,200 in cash; on June 13, 2005, armed bandits again struck and beat the security guard, but one was captured by the police.
He noted that in 2004, the occupants of a car robbed the business, a man was apprehended but later released; on August 25, 2005, gunmen again robbed the business of $7,000 in cash and a quantity of phone cards; and on September 2, 2005 bandits again robbed the service station.
The owner told the Guyana Chronicle that numerous times vehicles would enter the service station to be filled up with gas, and then drive away without paying, after threatening the pump attendants.
Mr. Sugrim said that in 2010 the business was broken into and the pressure washer, generator and a quantity of money from a Western Union transaction was also stolen.
He added that since his business was established in 2001, his business has been the centre of numerous attacks and robberies and the police either responded after a long time, or not at all.

The man stated that last weekend someone smashed his concrete fence and he had to re-seal it.
Then two weeks ago he captured a man who robbed the gas station, but the police never showed up to take the robber away. He was forced to release the suspect.