Burglars steal TV, laptop from church in Mc Bean Village

A church in Mc Bean Village in Couva was the target of a burglary between January 15 and 16 after thieves broke in and stole several items, including a laptop and a 50-inch TV.

Pastor Kenrick Bowlah, 65, who oversees the church, One on One Ministries at Calcutta #1, estimated the value of the stolen items to be between $10,000 and $15,000.

Apart from the laptop and TV, a water pump and speaker box were also stolen.

Bowlah said the burglars showed no respect for the house of worship.

"I forgive them. We have to pray for them. God will deal with them. These people do not realise the consequences of their actions. They still need to answer for what they have done," he said on January 17.

The pastor called on the perpetrators to "put the Lord first."

Bowlah recalled that he had locked the church before leaving on the evening of January 15.

The next day, around 8 am, a resident noticed that a side door was open and alerted him.

He later found that the burglars had pried open the door, disconnected the electricity, and made off with the items.

"Everything is fairly new. These fellas were on a rampage. But thank God they did not ransack the place. Maybe they could not see properly."

The door has since been replaced.

Bowlah expressed gratitude to workers on a job site near the church who had donated the replacement door.

The pastor said they also promised to help replace the water pump so the church can continue services.

"At least we have that for the time being to keep us going. But we will have to do without music for now," Bowlah said.

He said the church had been there for 13 years and had never been the target of thieves.

"We started to build here gradually about 13 years ago. This is the first time we have had a break-in," Bowlah said.

"The state of emergency is a good thing, but I do not think it is making much of a difference. It should have been more forceful, as far as I am concerned. The police are trying their best, but there is only so much they can do. These fellas (criminals) are still on a rampage. They are just continuing to do what they are doing."

He described the crime situation nationwide as terrible.

He said some people were afraid to attend church and would rather stay home and pray.

"I understand that, but we still need to gather in the house of the Lord," he said.

Despite the crime, the pastor remained unafraid. "When you have the Lord, you do not need to be afraid," he said.

The church is on a dead-end street in a developing area.

He hopes that increased police patrols in the area could provide greater security to the growing community.

Central Division police confirmed that no arrest was made.

The investigation is ongoing.