The JCF faced mounting criticism after the attack on Beryllium guards at a Scotiabank location in Mandeville, Manchester.

But, the Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Crime, Fitz Bailey, defended the police’s response to the armed robbery in Mandeville, Manchester, on Friday, August 25, 2023.

Speaking to Radio Jamaica News on Monday afternoon, Bailey said a police team responded to the incident within two minutes and engaged the criminals.

Further, he said there was a police officer on duty at the location, and he also engaged the criminals in a gunfight.

In response to comments from the general public that the police should do more to stop incidents like the one in Mandeville, DCP Bailey said the Jamaica Constabulary Force cannot be everywhere at once.

DCP Bailey and the JCF have their priorities mixed up. Of course, the Jamaican people understand that the police cannot be everywhere at the same time. Part of the duties of the JCF is to prevent and detect crime–that means the police have to be proactive, at least sometimes. Therefore, if it intends to gain the public’s trust, it must deter or interrupt these criminal operations.

Many years ago, when criminals robbed banks at will, the forward-thinking police hierarchy instituted ‘Bank Patrol.’ And that simple measure wiped out bank robberies completely.

Now, decades later, criminals continue to target one courier that transports money for the banks. So, given what we know about criminals yesterday and today (they are afraid of the police), it is not challenging to implement measures to deter these criminals from robbing the same courier again and again.

Beryllium denies insider agents and former employees were involved in the Manchester robbery.

Security company Beryllium Limited has denied rumors that insider agents and former employees were involved in the robbery at Scotiabank in Mandeville, Manchester.

Shortly after the attack on the company’s guards, who had been moving money from the bank, speculation that the incident involved people connected to the security company began to spread.

Beryllium said it continues to work with the Jamaica Constabulary Force to investigate the shooting and robbery.

It also said it supports its frontline team members who continue to demonstrate courage and unwavering dedication in the face of what it calls heinous attacks by criminal groups.

According to police reports, men with high-powered rifles attacked a Beryllium security team collecting cash at the bank.

One of the guards reportedly challenged the robbers. But the security team pulled back. The gunmen grabbed two bags containing cash and escaped in a waiting motorcar.

The robbers shot and injured five bystanders in the incident.