Inside job says COP Miller

Many of the thefts and robberies committed against business places are internally coordinated.

So says Commissioner of Police Keith Miller, as he addressed a special breakfast meeting with business owners and security firms on Wednesday, August 18.{{more}}

“We noticed that our last spate of robberies were coordinated. The thief, the robber, was assisted internally so we have to guard against these things,” said Miller.

Miller told the audience that persons employed as cashiers, clerks and security guards should be put through stringent background checks and counselled on how they manage and transfer cash, both internally and externally.

The meeting hosted by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC) at their conference room in Kingstown, was held to find solutions to the increase of criminal activity against businesses here and their proprietors.

Miller, speaking on the topic “The way forward: The role of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force in tackling crime”, highlighted a number of concerns that the police have regarding businesses and the crimes committed against them.

“There is a need to have internal security and it will be important, because when I make mention of internal security, it is important to have trusted people dealing with your internal security. Otherwise, you will have a thief watching a thief,” said Miller as he encouraged the business community to be on guard.

He encouraged the business owners to be vigilant in regard to who they allow to have keys and combinations to their vaults.

He also reiterated the Royal St.Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force’s previous offer to proprietors, to conduct background checks on employees and potential employees.

“You have to use the services of the police. We are here to serve you; we are your servants. Capitalize on the services so that you will be able to mitigate against these careless things.”

“As a policeman for a number of years we have dealt with surprising cases where at the end of the day we will hear ‘I did not expect this of…,’” said Miller.

The commissioner also touched on another topic which he said was causing great concern to the police.

“In St. Vincent, what we have noticed is that there are business people who unfortunately, are creating a market for stolen products and I think it is a shame,” he said.

“For example, if someone presents you with a laptop, you must ask yourself: ‘Where is he getting this laptop to sell me?’

“Do not pull a hustler from the street and buy a laptop from him. That’s a recipe for the business places who sell laptops to get blows from thieves,” Miller warned.

Without identifying the products or culprits, the commissioner called for this practice to stop.

“Once you create a market, it becomes harder to police…. It is really unfair for you to be buying something like a laptop from a man who is not wearing a slipper on his feet and you get away scot-free. That’s wrong,” said Miller.