TWO gunmen dressed in police uniform yesterday held up and robbed the 24-hour Plus conveniece store at Medford’s Gas Station, Chaguanas, police said. The two men in police uniform were among three who entered the store. The other, who was also armed, was dressed in civilian clothing. A fourth man remained in a silver Almera vehicle, which was later found abandoned at Success Street, a short distance from the Chaguanas Police Station. Reports are that around 8.30am the two men in dark blue police pants and shirts, complemented with bullet proof vests with the words “POLICE” at the back and front, entered the compound and told workers that they wanted to see one of the manager, Ingrid Medford, who was at the time inside her office checking the weekend’s sales. Medford is reported to have left her office, then asked the men what she could do for them.  The police impersonators then asked Medford if she was pleased with her security. The woman replied in the affirmative and the two men in police wear said that they were just “checking out” the area.  Police sources said Medford then asked them to present their identification badges.
  
One of them dipped into his pockets, but came up empty-handed and said he left it in his vehicle, but made no efforts to go get the ID. The other man who was with him then said he did not like how a certain security guard attached to the Chaguanas-based Four Paw Security firm was looking. The man then pushed the security guard onto Medford. The guard was on duty inside the convenience store, while another was stationed outside. The man in the police uniform then pulled out a gun and struck Medford on her neck.  He and his accomplice then ordered Medford back into her office, where they took close to $50,000 that was on her office desk. Meanwhile, the third man jumped over a counter manned by the head cashier, Kavita Maharaj. He commanded the workers to open the cash registers then ordered about ten workers to lie on the floor, after which he stole a quantity of cash from two cash registers.  During his time there, the man struck one of the female workers in the waist. To prevent possible identification, police said the men removed a video cassette recorder from inside Medford’s office.  They then left in the silver Almera vehicle, which Central Division police said was stolen last month from the Couva home of Kelvin Pierre. About five minutes after they left, the silver Almera vehicle was abandoned on Success Street, where they removed the registration number of that vehicle and placed it on a green vehicle in which they made their getaway. A report was made and a party of officers from the Central Division under Sr Supt Philip Carmona visited the scene and conducted investigations.  The officers made a search of the area for the men, but without success.

Contacted yesterday, Ingrid Medford told Newsday that she wanted Trinidad and Tobago citizens to be aware that bandits are coming around dressed in police uniforms. “They could be real police, or people hired to look the part.  They are coming in all kinds of disguises,” Medford said.  She added that they were even better dressed than real police with very good physiques. Asked if she thought it was an inside job, Medford said she did not.  She also said it was either the fourth or fifth robbery that they had undergone for this year.  She also recalled when her husband Kenneth “Chic” Medford was kidnapped in May 2002. The woman then called upon acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs to tell business people what else they should do with regards to asking for proper identification from people purporting to be police officers.  She also endorsed the call for guns for businesspeople. Snaggs told Newsday yesterday they have observed that some serious crimes are being committed by “people other than police officers dressed in articles of clothing closely resembling police uniforms.” The top cop later implored members of the public to demand to see proper identifications from these people whether or not they are in police uniform. Police Association President, Acting Insp Christopher Holder, said that they need to devise some kind of strategy to deal with people using police uniform to commit crimes. Up to late evening no one had been arrested in connection with the Medford robbery. The Chaguanas CID is continuing investigations.

In spite of a public bulletin advising patients to seek medical attention at district health facilities before venturing to the San Fernando General Hospital, large numbers of patients suffering from a viral-type illness turned up at the hospital yesterday. When Newsday visited the hospital yesterday, the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department was filled to capacity with several patients lying prostrate on plastic chairs in the main waiting room. One patient, who did not wish to be identified, said that she had left her Barrackpore home suffering from “severe migrane headaches” since 7am, and had not yet received attention. “Just now is 2pm, and I haven’t seen a doctor yet,” she said, adding that the nurses on duty had informed them that only patients with “serious ailments” would be attended to by the doctors.

She pointed out that many persons had come to the hospital out of fear that they may have the dreaded dengue fever, but were not being examined by doctors. Asked whether she would remain in the waiting room, the visibly tired woman said she was returning home. Another man said that he had accompanied one of his friends who had fallen from a chennet tree and, up to the time of the interview, his friend was still to be treated for his injuries. However, SWRHA Vice Chairman, Dr Joel Sinanan, said that the hospital’s overcrowding was being “managed” by a number of measures put in place by the Authority last Friday morning. “As far as I know, we put in place several measures on Friday to deal with the overcrowding, and from the last report given to me on Friday, things were beginning to settle down on the wards,” he said. He also noted that special “authority” had been given to the hospital’s A&E department to hire tempory doctors in an effort to “speed up” the waiting time at the department. And asked whether patients had been turned away from the hospital over the weekend, Sinanan said that he was not aware of that development.

THE Diego Martin man who was held in possession of a real police and army uniform was not pointed out during identification parades done on Saturday with respect to a robbery and kidnapping incident in July, police said. However, West End police yesterday charged the 27-year-old man with possession of an army and police kit, as well as possession of three rounds of .38 ammunition. Charges were laid by PC Roger Mitchell and the dreadlocked man is due to appear before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate today to answer the charges. The man was one of 35 people whom officers of the Western Division under Sr Supt Stephen Quashie and Insp Anthony Lezama arrested during a police exercise Friday night. The man was held in a house in the hills of Diego Martin with a full police and army kit.  He also had something resembling a police baton and belt, which senior police officers said were not police issued.

Police said the man did not reveal where he got the gear from but a Diego Martin resident had told Newsday that on Saturday that the man was trying his utmost to get rid of the uniform.
“Somebody called the Crime Stoppers and squealed on him,” the resident said. The Diego Martin resident also told Newsday that there was no way that the man could have obtained the uniform without inside help. “You really think he could get a police and an army uniform so easy?” the resident asked. A senior police officer said that in previous years police uniforms used to be “properly stamped” by the police stores, with the officers number on every part of the uniform—tunic, pants, belt, etc. However, the senior officer said that the police stores is now being controlled by civilians.  “We had our systems in place and now it is being gradually eroded and disbanded,” the senior officer said. Acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs has already ordered an investigation as to how the man came into possession of the police uniform, while the army has chosen to stay silent on the subject.

A FEMALE souse proprietor was among three people shot and wounded in separate incidents Saturday night and yesterday morning, police sources said. The victims have been identified as Angela Bissoon, 47, of Kelly Trace, Carapo, David Jack, 25, of Water Reserve Road, La Fillette Village, Blanchisseuse and Junior Gaskin, 24, of Mohammed’s Trace, St Augustine. In the Bissoon shooting, police said around 10.45 pm Saturday the woman, in company with her 18-year-old daughter, Susan, were selling souse on Carapo Main Road, near the Santa Rosa Recreation Club. Police said two masked men, one armed with a firearm, approached the two women.  The elder Bissoon reportedly resisted and was subsequently shot on the right calf. The men then stole $50 in cash along with a chain and two rings together valued $1,300.  They escaped in a waiting vehicle. The shot woman was taken to the Arima Hospital where she was treated for a flesh wound.

Acting Cpl Gosine of the Arouca Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is continuing investigations. In the other shooting, police said around 4 am yesterday Jack was liming at the Diana Bar, Water Reserve Road, when he allegedly got into an argument with another man. Police said the man whipped out a shotgun and shot Jack on the left thigh and right foot. The gunman who is from Las Cuevas Village then fled the scene on foot. Residents contacted the Blanchisseuse Health Centre for an ambulance, which later arrived and took the wounded man to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he underwent surgery and is reported to be in stable condition. Cpl John of the Blanchisseuse Police Station is spearheading investigations. In the other shooting incident, police said around 9.45 am Gaskin was near his home when he was confronted by two men, one of whom was armed with a firearm. Gaskin told police that the men said nothing to him, but they shot him on his right leg. He was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where he is stable.  PCs Anthony Remy of the St Joseph CID is investigating.

TWO vehicular accidents within seven hours have claimed the lives of two men and have left four people hospitalised, police sources told Newsday yesterday. The dead have been identified as 19-year-old Che Andrews, of Bon Air West, Arouca, while the other man, said to be about 65, remained unidentified up to late evening. The four warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital have been identified as Ricardo Bryan, Keon Ward, Yusuff Abduf Salaam and Dion Virgil. In the Andrews road fatality, police said around 5am yesterday, the young man was driving his vehicle west along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway near Peytonville, Arima. Police said Andrews, in company with Bryan, attempted to overtake a vehicle, driven by Ward, who was in company with Salaam. Ward’s vehicle was heading in the opposite direction. Andrews’ vehicle overturned and ended up on the southern side of the roadway, police said. After the smash-up, police said Andrews was discovered pinned behind the steering wheel of his vehicle, and had to be removed with the help of the Fire Service Department. He died on the spot. The three other passengers were rushed to the Arima Hospital, from where they were later transferred to the Port-of-Spain institution.

A report was made and a party of officers headed by Cpl Mohammed of the Arima Police Station visited the scene and conducted investigations. In the other road fatality which occurred around 10.30pm Saturday, police said the elderly man attempted to cross the Eastern Main Road in the vicinity of the TTEC Power Station close to a flyover. Police said the elderly man stopped on the roadway, and Virgil who was driving his Datsun Sunny motorcar in a westerly direction, attempted to pull away, and in the process struck the elderly man, who died on the spot.  Virgil had four passengers with him, but they escaped serious injuries. Officers from the Besson Street Police Station visited the scene and are continuing investigations.  District Medical Officers (DMO) Drs Emmanuel Hosein and Shurland Taylor visited the scenes, viewed the bodies and ordered them removed to the Port-of-Spain mortuaries. Their deaths have pushed the number of road fatalities for the year to 123 arising from 103 road accidents, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mobile) Deochan Gosine said, later appealing to members of the public to obey the country’s highway code.

UP TO late yesterday the body of the second drowned victim had not resurfaced and his female companion had not been identified, Besson Street police said. Police said the homeless couple were asleep at Sea Lots and that  they were washed away following heavy showers that caused the East Dry River to overflow its banks Thursday night. The couple’s drowning was reported to the police by another homeless person, who told the police that the duo were asleep at the time. Attempts to save the couple were futile, but the woman’s body surfaced on Friday morning in a mangrove at Sea Lots.  Besson Street police are continuing investigations.

A CHAGUANAS businessman lost his gun Saturday evening. Police said the man (name withheld) went to a boat show and left his vehicle at the Grand Bazaar. On his return around 3 pm, the Lange Park resident discovered his Glock 9mm and 10 rounds of ammunition, a briefcase and a laptop missing.  His vehicle was still there, however. A report was made to the St Joseph Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and PC Anthony Remy is continuing investigations. Senior officers of the Northern Division yesterday blamed the theft on carelessness, and stated that this will spoil the chances of other people getting firearms users licence.

Despite feeling a “measure of satisfaction” over the breakup of a major kidnapping ring, National Security Minister, Howard Chin Lee has warned the national community to be vigilant against “other criminal factions” which may also pose a threat to society. He was addressing a media briefing after attending a PNM General Council meeting at the San Fernando East constituency offices, Coffee Street, San Fernando, yesterday. Notably absent was Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who was said to be attending to other party business. Chin Lee, who had earlier briefed General Council members on the “SRP 1000” initative, said that he had cautioned members against any “feelings of complacency” during the present “lull in kidnappings.” “I also sent a quiet warning to them, and I suppose as well to the population, that there are other factions that are out there,” he said. However, Chin Lee noted that “imminent arrests and charges” would soon be levelled against other criminal gangs in the country.

He also observed that when police “clamped down” on one type of criminal activity, another type sprouted up in another part of the country. This, he said, was the reason for the roadblock offensive recently enacted by police officers along the nation’s roads, saying the initative was designed to “curb the free movement of criminals from one place to another.” “What is becoming obvious is that when we step down on one area of crime, criminals are looking at other areas,” he said. “That is part of the police clampdown, although it may inconvenience the public, it is to ensure that there is not free mobility for criminals throughout the country.” Then, in an ominous warning,  the Minister observed that “other possibilities” for criminal gangs were still present in society. “I think that there are other areas, or other possibilities for different rings to develop” he said. And, while he did not elaborate, he stated that the police service was “doing all in its power” to ensure that the “business of kidnapping” was over. He also called on the business community to continue to support the “CrimeStoppers” programme, saying human intelligence was vital in combatting crime. Also attending the media briefing was Tourism Development Minister, Pennelope Beckles; PNM Vice Chairman, John Donaldson and General Council executive member, Dr Ronnie Sookhoo.