Estate police: Give us better guns, more ammo to protect ourselves

President of the Estate Police Association (EPA) Deryck Richardson has called on companies to provide adequate resources, protection, training, and equipment to protect the lives of the officers, who he said are underpaid and under-resourced.

Richardson also called on the authorities to give estate police permission to carry more and better ammunition.

He added, “Officers are meeting an overwhelming force out there in the forms of automatic weapons. We are calling for their insurance to be updated. They are at the frontline of criminals’ attack.

“Insurance should be at least $500,000 on each officer’s life. That is not enough, but it’s a start. When officers are attacked and killed, their families are left to pick up the pieces, as often the officers are the breadwinners.”

The EPA head made the comments on Friday, a day after Hasley Augustine, 46, of Telecom Security Services Ltd, was shot dead while at work.

Augustine and three colleagues were depositing cash at an RBC ATM at DS Plaza at Chin Chin Road in Cunupia at around 11.30 am on Thursday when the tragedy happened.

Five gunmen, some with high-powered weapons, ambushed them. Augustine struggled with one of the men, who shot him.

The armed men got into a car and drove off.

Richardson said the association was saddened by the incident.

The association noted that it happened almost a year after the deadly Pennywise shooting at La Romaine under similar circumstances while officers were carrying cash in transit.

“We are concerned about the proliferation of attacks on the officers who carry out the function,” Richardson said.

Richardson was referring to the shooting deaths of Jeffrey Peters, 51, and Jerry “Bat” Stuart, 49, of Allied Security Ltd, who were ambushed. The two, together with their colleague Peola Baptiste, 57, were transporting money collected from several businesses on the Pennywise compound. Baptiste was also hit but survived.

Richardson said there is sufficient evidence to show estate police are under attack.

He recalled that in 2013, Bert Clarke, 59, of Sentinel Security Services Ltd, was shot and killed during a robbery on the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway in Piarco.

Mark Nurse, 40, an MI4 security officer, was shot dead during a robbery in December 2019 in Tobago.

In 2021, Thor Security guard Kimraj Jaggessar, 56, was gunned down by bandits who robbed a cigarette van in Valencia.

“The assailants have made us soft targets, because they know we are undermanned and under-armed for the tasks we are mandated to carry out,” Richardson said.

“There are a number of conversations from the government, companies on how we go forward in protecting the estate police. These police are restricted from carrying under the Firearm Users Employees Certificate. We also have restrictions on the amount of ammunition to carry.”

A media statement from RBC on Thursday on Augustine’s killing said the bank was shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss during “an unfortunate incident” involving guards from a security vendor at its offsite ATM in Cunupia.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and loved ones of those involved,” the statement said.

“RBC takes the safety and well-being of our employees, clients, and communities seriously. We are concerned and troubled about the escalating level of violence in the communities we serve.”

The statement added that RBC supports the necessary steps to reduce violence against the public and continues to work closely with the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago and other stakeholders to promote safety and security precautions.