Delivery drivers on alert after two attacks in two weeks

Delivery drivers have been warned to be extra vigilant after a driver was attacked and robbed in George Town on Saturday night in the second attack to occur in just two weeks.

The Domino’s Pizza driver was delivering food to an address in Windsor Park just before 9pm on 8 Feb. when, according to a police report, he was approached by two men who then assaulted him. He was also attacked by dogs before managing to escape and call for help, while his attackers made off on foot.

Staff from the Department of Agriculture were called and were able to retrieve one of the dogs involved in the incident. The driver is understood to be recovering from his ordeal well but remains on sick leave.

The attack happened just a few weeks after another Domino’s driver was attacked and robbed. The driver was returning to his car after delivering food to an address on Marina Drive in Patrick’s Island just before 10pm on 29 Jan., when he was approached by four men dressed in black with hoodies and masks covering their faces.

According to a police statement released at the time, two of the men were armed with baseball bats and one with a machete. The victim was struck on the head by one of the men with a baseball bat and robbed of a small amount of cash before the suspects fled the scene in what was believed to be silver Honda Fit. The victim attended the hospital for treatment and was subsequently released.

Drivers trained for attacks

A Domino’s employee, who asked not to be named, told the Cayman Compass that he worked with both of the drivers involved in the separate attacks.

“We have training for all our drivers of what do to if they are attacked, but you can’t control everything,” he said.

“Our drivers only carry a small amount of money anyway. Our priority is the safety of our drivers. But when a bad guy does something, it’s hard to control that.”

In areas where there have been problems in the past, he said, drivers are told to call customers in advance and remain in their car while people collect the pizza from them. They are also told to remove the distinctive Domino’s sign from the top of their cars.

He added, “We try to block areas where there have been problems, but not everyone is bad in a certain area. We always monitor deliveries to problem areas and make sure that the drivers are aware of the situation. If an area is too dangerous, then we just won’t deliver there at all and people can pick up their food from the store. We have to protect our drivers.”

Industry shock

Owners of other delivery companies expressed their shock and worry about the recent attacks. Renan Nery, co-founder of delivery company Bento, told the Compass, “Two attacks in two weeks is definitely a concern.”

He added, “Our delivery drivers never carry any money with them as everything is paid for via the app, so I don’t think we’re a target. The safest way is for food delivery companies not to hold cash at all and other delivery companies should definitely do that.”

Adam Sax, owner of Let’s Eat, which handles food deliveries from shops and restaurants across the island, said that news of the attacks were “extremely concerning for us and our drivers. We try to do everything possible to protect our staff.”

“We had a meeting after the first Domino’s incident with our staff and our drivers, because there’s a lot of fear about this,” he said.

“They are scared and they’ve expressed their concerns to us about the issue.”

Like Bento, Let’s Eat is a cashless operation, with all transactions being carried out online or via the app, meaning drivers carry no money at all with them. The drivers are all tracked in real time before, during and after each delivery, and many vehicles have dashcams installed.

Worry over violence

Sax said his drivers are told to always keep an eye on their surroundings in case they are being followed, and if they feel at all unsafe, then they should return to base or call the authorities immediately. If a driver is not comfortable with delivering to a particular area, then they do not have to, and drivers can also ask not to deliver at night.

“So far, it seems just a few isolated incidents. I hope it’s not a growing problem and it can be nipped in the bud quickly,” Sax said.

“The use of physical violence is worrying though. It’s one thing to take money but it’s another thing altogether to assault someone for just $20 or so, and it makes me think there’s a wider problem to address.”

Let’s Eat has recently expanded into handling deliveries from Foster’s supermarket and is taking on more drivers to cope with the growing demand.

“What we are concerned about in the future, if this issue isn’t tackled, is the higher value of goods which will be delivered across island, as then it’s not just the cash being targeted but the items themselves,” he said.

“There should be zero tolerance towards violence and I hope the police are going to really tackle this issue by having a greater police presence in certain districts and making sure they track down the perpetrators of these awful attacks.”

The incident is being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Department and anyone with information is being encouraged to call the George Town Police Station on 949-4222.

Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS via the Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777 or at RCIPS.ky. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Cayman Crime Stoppers website or by downloading the Cayman Crime Stoppers app.