Liguanea plazas see spike in laptop theft

THIEVES targeting laptops and other electronic equipment left in parked cars in the Liguanea commercial district of St Andrew, have led to a ramping up of security personnel at locations including the popular Sovereign Centre.

This is the second time in six months that the theft of laptops has spiked in the Liguanea area. The police theorise that it's no coincidence that the robbers have chosen to target Liguanea, considering its high traffic of professionals as well as many students traversing from the nearby University of Technology and University of the West Indies.

In addition to police sources, at least one security company has confirmed the increase in car break-ins.

Crisis

McKay Security's chief executive officer, Jason McKay, whose company secures multiple locations in the Liguanea area, including the Sovereign Centre, said his firm is treating the spike as "a crisis".

"There has been an increase in the break-in of cars, mainly for laptops, in the entire area," McKay told The Gleaner.

"We realise it is a crisis and will be treating it as such, both as a means of preventing further occurrences and an attempt to catch the persons doing it," he added.

McKay said his company has already beefed up security at locations in the area, especially the Sovereign Centre.

"Sovereign Centre, based on the number of personnel we have deployed there, is one of the safest venues in the Liguanea area, as far as plazas go. Even with the general spike, the chances of somebody breaking into a car at Sovereign are minimal.

"However, because there is a problem in the entire Liguanea, we will be doubling security in the car park at Sovereign Centre to ensure patrons who shop there have nothing to fear," McKay pointed out.

Police sources told The Gleaner that the car break-ins are being committed by a gang using glass cutters to speedily breach vehicles without attracting attention or setting off alarms.

The police said with this tool thieves can effect a laptop robbery in 60 seconds.

However, McKay said the public should also be security conscious.

"I think basic common sense could avoid most of these robberies taking place in the Liguanea area," he said.

"If there is nothing to steal, to break into a car, the robber would move to visible prey. In almost every case reported, there was either a handbag or laptop visible through an untinted window," he said.

"It seems as if people are relying on their alarms, which is a warning system, instead of making sure they don't leave valuables in plain sight."

'We realise it is a crisis and will be treating it as such. '