Youth camp robbed: Staff want better security

FIVE masked men, two armed with guns, stormed the Presto Praesto Youth Development and Apprentice Centre in Freeport early yesterday morning, stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of camp property.

Police said the five men entered the camp around 1.30am and tied up the security officer.

After robbing him of his cellphone and cash, one of the gunmen was left to guard him while the other four broke into the administrative office and agriculture-supply shed.

Over the next three hours, they broke into a vault room, stealing a laptop, a projector, speakers, and the supply shed where they took three weed wackers and a mist blower.

The security guard was able to free himself around 4.30 am after the men had left.

The centre, which falls under the purview of the Sports Ministry, houses at-risk youth and provides them with technical and vocational training in different fields.

When the school term started last Monday, classes at the centre also restarted, but yesterday parents of the 30 trainees were called in to collect their children.

Newsday visited yesterday and spoke with staff members, who said they are tired of waiting for the Sport Ministry to increase security.

“We have been robbed about five or six times over the past 14 years.

“We have asked time and time again for them to do something about the security for us.

“We cannot keep the trainees here without any extra security.

“We cannot put them at that risk,” one employee said. The employee said classes would be suspended for the next week.

“We may reopen next Monday but until then, we can’t keep the trainees here.”

PC Boxhill of the Freeport station is investigating.

Newsday tried reaching the Sport Ministry for a comment but was told at 4pm yesterday there was no water in the building and all staff had gone home for the day.