Thieves for the eighth time in recent months on Wednesday broke into Channel Nine on Mandela Avenue, carting off vital pieces of equipment which caused a nine-hour delay in transmission.
From all reports, the images of two perpetrators were captured on surveillance cameras breaking through a western window in the Operations Room and later escaping through a window in the northern section of the building.
The men escaped with two cameras, a computer system, a video mixer and two DVD players all valued in excess of $2.5M. Significant damage was also done to an audio video mixer which the men stepped on in their escape bid.
Two other television stations have extended their assistance to Channel Nine and they have since returned to airing their normal programming. The quality of their advertisements though has been affected as a result of the theft of the computer.
Yesterday the station’s Human Resources Manager Barbara Walrond questioned why they were being targeting so often especially when the East la Penitence Police Station is located a stone’s throw away.
She pointed out that the equipment stolen on Wednesday could not be of much benefit to the perpetrators unless they intend to sell it. The cameras is particular she added are heavy-duty equipment and are not items that a person can walk around with.
Walrond added that Channel Two and Six are prepared to offer their equipment to assist but in the meantime they have reverted to using a title marker to do the advertisements since the computer which would have added graphics was stolen. Thus the quality of ads has been limited to just words.
She said too that despite their dilemma they have to work because they have staff that have families to maintain.
Walrond recalled that less than a month ago, additional surveillance cameras were placed at strategic points but the robbers still persisted.
During one of the robberies, the wire to one of the cameras was severed.
In one of the burglaries which occurred two weeks ago, the perpetrators gained entry to the building through a sliding door. They escaped with money and cash that was in a director’s bedroom.
Commenting on Wednesday’s breakage she said according to the cameras the incident occurred at 2:29am.
She said that when employees arrived at the station around 5:15 am, the breakage was discovered and the police were immediately contacted. The first set of ranks from East la Penitence Station arrived about 15 minutes later while more came throughout the course of the day to investigate, Walrond said.
Yesterday she issued a plea for persons who are approached with camera or any other equipment which appears to be stolen to contact the station immediately as the stolen items could be easily identified.
