The Cayman Islands Red Cross is appealing for the public’s help to catch burglars who have repeatedly raided its trailer, storage container and overnight dropbox, and stolen items donated by members of the public.
In a statement released on Tuesday, 17 Jan., a spokesperson for the Red Cross said the burglaries have escalated over the past month, during which the crooks destroyed locks and vandalised property to gain access to the public donations.
The Red Cross says the incident was captured on CCTV, which was provided to police.
“The latest major incident that occurred resulted in two males being detained by RCIPS on Saturday 7th January 2023,” said the Red Cross in its press release. “However, this did not stop the burglars from coming back, and in the past week there have been numerous thefts from the donation box overnight.”
Now the Red Cross fears the thieves may be looking to target its main building, which houses its thrift shop.
“In one occasion, a male was observed to be filming the general area on his mobile device, which raises fears that there might be an attempt at gaining entry into the main Thrift Shop in the near future,” said the Red Cross, adding that the criminal activity has led to a real fear for the safety of its volunteers.
These volunteers have to regularly clean up the aftermath of these raids, which includes donations being thrown in the parking lot, as well as human excrement and urine, the Red Cross said in the press release.
“It is a shame that we have to put our volunteer’s safety at risk in the wake of these incidents,” said Red Cross director Jondo Obi. “This reduces the amount of effort our volunteers can put into making sure the Thrift Shop is kept clean and tidy for the benefit of the whole community.”
She added, “It’s important to understand that many of the donations made to the shop are given free of cost to vulnerable persons in need of assistance. Stealing these donations is impairing our ability to provide items to those who need them the most.”
In light of the burglaries, the Red Cross is asking the public not to use the overnight dropbox, but instead donate items directly to the Thrift Shop during the opening hours of 8am-2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
People can also schedule a pickup of large donations by contacting the shop at 949-SHOP or [email protected]
Anyone who knows anything about the burglaries is encouraged to contact the George Town Police Station at 949-4777.
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