From left: Inspector Percival Buddan, Superintendent Steve McGregor and retired Superintendent Donald Smythe look on after a recent meeting at the National Gallery under the theme, 'Building Safer Communities Through Partnership'. The meeting was the second of its kind geared towards nourishing a closer relationship with the police and stakeholders in downtown Kingston, in a collective effort to fight crime. - Sheldon Williams

The police are concerned about lax security measures for some stores in the downtown commercial-shopping district, which increases the businesses' chances of being robbed.

The concern was highlighted by Inspector Percival Buddan of the City Centre Police Station in a recent interview with THE WEEKEND STAR. He recommended that store owners improve their security protocol to protect their businesses against potential threats.

Buddan pointed out that enough people were not protecting their business places.

However, while he said store robberies in the shopping district have not been regular in recent times, he still believes security should be held in high regard.

"We are concerned about this because it is not easily managed, but it has a lot to do with the security that these businesses have in place."

"In a lot of instances, it's inadequate. Some business persons have taken it for granted in sending bearers with large sums of money to the bank, unprotected, and their business establishments are not properly secured in terms of technology such as cameras and alarm systems," Buddan also added.

One recommendation put forward by the top cop is that store owners, particularly those who operate wholesales, should change their countertop method of serving customers to a rotating window.

He explained that such an approach could be employed by Chinese storeowners.

"... the Chinese business establishments, we have educated them in terms of reconfiguring their countertops to a rotation wheel to serve people through, than to have a gate that persons will oftentimes jump through. With the rotation wheel, you can't go through it, you have to turn the thing around to you like what is used at drive-thru windows. things like those can help to reduce robberies," he said.

In a recent robbery of a jewellery store on King Street, in downtown Kingston, gunmen made off with a gun and more than $15 million worth of jewellery in a daring daylight robbery.

According to police reports, about 10:15 a.m., on February 8, the robbers who were browsing items under the pretence that they were shoppers, pulled guns and made off with the security guard's .38 revolver, staff members' cellular phones and an estimated $15 million worth of jewellery.

That robbery is still being investigated by the Kingston Central Police.