–third hit for year
THIEVES targeted the May Rodrigues Vocational Training Centre of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) at Lot 106 Brickdam Georgetown sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning. This latest break-in comes as the organisation prepares for its anniversary, and has caused continued losses as a result of regular burglaries committed on its premises.
Acting General Secretary of the YWCA, Yonette Matthews, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday morning, said that the perpetrators of this act carted off two gas stoves and two gas bottles. She explained that the occurrence is not new to the organisation, but the latest incident has brought the number of break-ins at the facility to three already for this year. The facility was broken into on February 23, and again on March 01.
Ms. Matthews told the Chronicle that from all indications the persons gained entry to the building from the office of the head teacher as well as from the kitchen. She explained that the perpetrators may be familiar with the operation of the YWCA as well as the layout of the premises. She disclosed that the building was without lights on Saturday and Sunday.
She disclosed that a security had related that at sometime around 6pm on Saturday, March 17, he had put on the lights to the building, and when he returned at about 10pm that evening, he realised that the building was in darkness.
However investigations into the break-in revealed that the fuse controlling the lights to the building, located in a section that is accessible only to persons operating business on the premises, had been tampered with.
Asked to estimate the losses from the break-in, Ms Matthews explained that the two gas stoves cost more than $120,OOO. She added that apart from the items that go missing from time to time, the Association is burdened with the cost of replacing broken locks and patching and repairing points of entry used by criminals.
The police have visited the premises and questioned a few persons, including the two private security officers who were on duty at the location over the weekend. Ms. Matthews said the lawmen returned to the scene yesterday morning and conducted further investigations, promising to do all in their power to capture the persons responsible for the break-in.
Asked about the capability of the guards to defend the location and themselves from malevolent characters, Ms. Matthews said the security officers were able-bodied.
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) will be celebrating its anniversary later this year. The organisation has been in existence for well over one hundred years.