Business Owners Vow To Fight Back against Criminals

Business owners around the city of Castries declared that they are committed to fighting back against the level of criminal activity that has been occurring around the island in the last few months, especially over the last 72 hours.

In surveillance footage obtained by The Voice, masked gunmen held up three businesses, two in the city of Castries and the other in Choiseul. In one instance one of the bandits physically assaulted a female employee as he and his accomplice demanded that all cash and valuables be placed into a bag.

Managers have recognized the dangers they are faced with and while some can’t afford the added expense that will come, new forms of security measures to combat the criminal elements will be implemented.

A few business places have hired armed security guards and demand that customers lower their masks before entering the establishment. “It’s just a measure of security for our workers and customers,” one owner told us. “We can’t expect the police to be patrolling everywhere, so we must do what we have to do to safeguard ourselves.”

“The Minister for National Security is silent on those matters,” one individual said, while another blamed our mandatory mask-wearing policy as an aid to the thieves. “The guys are using the mask to their advantage,” she said.

Last week, three locally owned businesses were the target of armed bandits who held up the establishments in broad daylight demanding the day’s earnings.