Armed robberies and break and enter and larceny are increasing rapidly in Linden, forcing residents to make unanticipated and immediate adjustments to their business and social activities.
Over the past few months a group young men whose ages average between 15 and 30 have invaded Linden, disturbing the peace and making residents uneasy.
Persons said that the young men who are in most cases armed with guns and other weapons are committing robberies and in some cases wounding their victims. “This is pushing people in this place to take matters in their own hands because the police seem not to be doing nothing but driving around and flashing lights,” said an angry resident and businessman of Linden.
It is said that there have been at least ten robberies, armed and un-armed per week in recent times. “Dem banna ain’t got time or place, respect for man or woman, much less respect for the House of God, they attacking at any time day or night”, said another resident.
This week, among the robberies committed, was one on a group of ten women who were assembled at the Bible Way Assembly of God Church. They were held at gun point by a lone bandit believed to have been no older than 25 years old, and were relieved of a quantity of gold jewellery, cash, cell phones and other personal effects. Another robbery occurred in Victory Valley early Wednesday night. In this instance two armed young men who were said to have been hiding in a clump of bushes pounced on two men.
One man managed to flee unharmed while the two men with the gun severely beat the other man with a gun in his head before making good their escape with a quantity of jewellery and cash.
On Thursday a young woman was alone at home in Amelia’s Ward and shortly after 6pm an unmasked man approached the premises and was ordering the woman to open her gate to let him in. She said that because she didn’t know the young man she refused to comply and went back into her house. Peering through a window she saw the man still at the gate insisting that she open up.
“(He asked) Where your mother and father deh and I told him that my father round the corner coming home.” He then told her that he was aware that her parents weren’t home and told her to go have a good night because he was going to return later in the night.
The police were called in and again they failed to make any arrest. Fearful of the threat the woman did not sleep at home and returned to check the house the following morning. She found the back door wide open, louvre panes missing from a kitchen window, and the entire house ransacked.
Friday night in Self Help Amelia’s Ward a number of rounds were fired off sometime after 10pm. Neighbours said that bandits attempted to enter a house when they came face to face with some vicious dogs.
“When the man was going to see why the dogs were barking, the fired rounds were heard and two men were seen jumping a neighbour’s fence.”
Simultaneously at Wisroc on the other end of Linden a man was robbed at gun point. It was reported that as the man was about to close his gate he was held at gun point and told, “Don’t lock up yet.” He was escorted into his house and robbed.
These were just a few of the incidents that occurred during this past week in Linden.
In all of the instances the bandits were unmasked and said to be very young men. Despite police having made a few arrests and placing a few before the court, residents feel that they are not doing enough.
“What these guys need to do is to split in pairs or trios and dwell among the people in civilian clothing. They just deh driving round and round and by the time they move from one location the bandits hit the same place.”
On the other hand residents said that persons are guilty of harbouring the bandits while others know who they are and are refusing to report them to the police.
“Deh other day some bannas thief a set ah things from a old man house in Christian-burg and deh relatives got a good idea who did it because deh find one ah dem friend selling the thing on deh arcade and they refuse to report it to deh police saying how deh frighten dem man dah.”
The men are believed to be harboured in Amelia’s Ward, Wisroc Tabernacle, the Alleys in Christianburg and Victory Valley.
Residents said that they don’t feel safe and are calling for the police and community policing groups to strategize to capture the suspects, most of whom they believe are not Lindeners.
