The Transports and Certificates of Title for properties in Region Six are among the valuables that were stolen in a break-in at the Regional Housing Office over the weekend and Regional Executive Officer Dr Veerasammy Ramayya has voiced concern over the “ineffective” security provided to government offices in the region.
The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) yesterday announced that its Regional Housing Office, Region 6, located at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Building, at Vrymen’s Erven, New Amsterdam was broken into and the safe containing all of the Region’s Transports and Certificates of Title, some lot numbers for Region Five and an imprest of $4,000 was stolen.
According to a statement issued by the CH&PA, it only recently recorded each Transport and Certificate of Title contained in the safe. “The individual lists will be forwarded to the Deeds Registry and Land Registry, respectively,” it said, while noting that it has requested that the registries not undertake any transaction relating to any of the listed properties until the safe has been recovered and the documents found.
The CH&PA called on public-spirited citizens who may have knowledge of or may find a safe within their vicinity to please report same to the nearest police station.
It also appealed to the persons responsible for the “senseless” crime to return the safe, since the contents are legal documents. Any use or misuse of any of the documents found in the safe is punishable by law, it warned.
The CH&PA statement said the perpetrators gained entry through the louvre window by cutting the mesh.
The theft yesterday prompted Ramayya to criticise the service being provided by Home Safe Security, which is the firm that was contracted under the previous government to provide security to government buildings in the region.
The firm is responsible for security at public hospitals, schools and other government facilities
Ramayya yesterday said the firm is supposed to provide five security guards on a nightly basis to the RDC’s compound but on the night of the theft there was just one guard – a woman. He stated too that from the logbook, which is in his possession, on many nights there is only one guard at the compound. “They [Home Safe Security Firm] were supposed to ensure that they provide security services they are paid for,” he stated, before emphasising that as long as he is in office he will ensure that services paid for by the government will be delivered by the entities contracted to do so.
He noted that based on information shared at the meetings he has hosted since the break and enter and larceny, it is clear that the company has not been fulfilling its mandate although it continues to receive payment.
At some locations, he noted, there are few guards and in some instances only women are present.
He called on the management of the company to employ more young persons and to ensure its workers are well paid.
Ramayya, after stating that the security firm is ineffective, said he will seek the intervention of the Ministry of Public Security to hold talks with the company.
According to Ramayya, there are several inspectors attached to the region but for the past year and a half nobody has been placed in New Amsterdam to conduct routine checks throughout the night. As a result, he questioned the vigilance of his predecessor.
