Businessman dismayed at spate of crimes in Parfait Harmonie

A businessman from the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) is expressing his dissatisfaction over the increase in the frequency of robberies occurring in the Parfait Harmonie neighbourhood, the area in which he conducts business.

Speaking to Stabroek News, Saleem Khan, proprietor of Aqua Purified Water located in the compound of the Parfait Harmonie Mosque said on Wednesday for the second time in two months, his store was robbed. The discovery was made at approximately 8:00 hours when staff members reported for work and saw the padlock at the entrance gate broken and found one flat screen television set and a DVD player valued some $100,000 missing.

“This is the second time in two months my store was faced with such an encounter, the last one was worse,” Khan said. This newspaper was informed the last instance occurred when someone entered the Aqua Purified Water store during business hours, priced a bottle of water, left and returned minutes after armed with a knife. The thief threatened a female staffer on duty, telling her if she didn’t hand over all that she had, inclusive of the daily earnings and other valuables he would stab her. The staffer submitted to the robber’s demand because of the knife he placed to her neck.

According to Khan, “ninety percent of the people living in Parfait Harmonie are out during the days due to work and a lot of robberies happen in that time.” He pleaded with the residents and the community at large to stage a protest over the rapid increase in crime and to petition the Minister of Public Security to have a police station built in the community as soon as possible to address the increasing crime.