‘Why we paying for security?’

Residents of Phoenix Park Village in Phase 3, Portmore, St Catherine, were left shaken yesterday after a reported police operation ended in gunfire, leaving one alleged robber dead and another on the run.

The incident, which unfolded along Hellshire Drive, has ignited fresh anxiety in the gated community, where homeowners say crime has been quietly creeping in despite heavy investments in security.

Residents say explosions echoed across the midday atmosphere, and The Gleaner arrived in time to see the scene littered with spent casings.

“Then a how dem get inside here? Then why we paying for security? It look like we need some men dressed in full black out there with them tools,” an elderly woman said.

According to the police, a team intercepted a group of alleged robbers said to be targeting the area.

A shoot-out reportedly ensued, during which one of the men was shot about 1:15 p.m..

He was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Up to press time his name was not released.

The second suspect reportedly escaped and is being sought.

By the time the gunfire subsided, senior police personnel, including Dr Jason McKay, were on the scene, examining the area and a disabled Toyota Allion the men were travelling in.

The vehicle was riddled with bullet holes.

Residents stood behind yellow crime-scene tape in stunned silence, watching forensic teams work.

Some were on their phones, in dialogue with residents who were not at home but learnt of the incident in community WhatsApp groups.

However, for many who call Phoenix Park Village home, the incident was not surprising, only inevitable.

One woman, who drove up as the area was being cordoned off, openly expressed her frustration.

“Is what is going on in Phoenix Park? I pay security fee, and still too much robberies in the place,” she said, shaking her head as she looked on in disbelief.

Her comments echoed a growing sentiment among residents who were at the scene before her arrival and who said the community’s security systems have not kept pace with the criminal activity they now face.

Another resident suggested that the community’s vulnerabilities are being exploited from the inside.

“Some unscrupulous people renting out the units, and nobody really checking who coming in,” she claimed.

A third woman said the situation has reached the point where she no longer feels safe in her own home.

“I’m surrounded by people whose behaviour is often questionable. I don’t feel comfortable any more,” she said.

“This is not what we signed up for when we moved into a gated scheme.”

Their concerns are heightened by recent reports that at least three homes in Phase 3 were broken into last week.

Residents said that although the community was marketed as secure, too many unknown individuals appear to be entering the scheme without proper scrutiny.

While The Gleaner was inside, persons, many among them construction workmen, were going about their business.

Security experts have long warned that gated communities can give residents a false sense of protection.

While they reduce casual access, they are not immune to infiltration, especially when tenant screening is weak or private security is overstretched.

The police, in the past, have noted incidents of criminals renting homes in gated schemes or using them as hideouts, exploiting the same restricted access that is supposed to keep residents safe.

The St Catherine South Police Division has seen a sharp rise in robberies and break-ins in recent months, prompting several targeted operations across Portmore.

As at December 6, robberies and break-ins in the division recorded a 44 per cent and 67 per cent increase, respectively.

editorial@gleanerjm.com