Carib Scope

分类： society

  • ‘Teacher training, staffing key to success’

    ‘Teacher training, staffing key to success’

    A plan to bring back the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) to Trinidad and Tobago’s primary education system has earned cautious backing from the nation’s largest teachers’ union and the national parent-teacher body, both of which warn that policy missteps that doomed the first iteration of the framework must be avoided for the initiative to deliver on its promises.

    The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) first vice president Adesh Dwarika shared the union’s position in a recent phone interview with local outlet the Express, following the release of a memorandum from Education Ministry Chief Education Officer Peter Smith that launched virtual public consultations with primary school principals, teachers, and parents of Standards Two and Three students on the planned CAC relaunch.

    Dwarika noted that TTUTA leadership held a meeting with Education Ministry officials several weeks prior to the consultation announcement, where Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath confirmed the CAC would be returning to the national education system. The union had previously pushed for educator and administrator inclusion in consultation talks, a demand that has since been reflected in the ministry’s current outreach process.

    “TTUTA has no objection to the policy if it genuinely strengthens the education system, enhances teaching and learning experiences for students, and reduces unnecessary pressure on young learners,” Dwarika explained. “But we cannot ignore the mistakes that led to its cancellation the first time around, and we must address those flaws up front.”

    When CAC was first rolled out as part of the national Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA), it required teachers to deliver instruction in creative arts and a range of skill-based modules that many primary educators were not trained to teach, Dwarika said. A second critical flaw was the lack of standardized grading: assessments were scored independently at each school, leading to inconsistent, highly subjective results that undermined the credibility of the framework. The policy also created unmanageable additional workload for already stretched teaching staff, he added.

    To fix these longstanding issues, TTUTA has proposed several key reforms ahead of the relaunch. Dwarika recommended rolling out a system of centralized grading moderation modeled after the School Based Assessment (SBA) process used for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, which would create consistent, fair grading standards across all schools. The union has also proposed reducing the weight of the final high-stakes SEA examination to offset the added workload of continuous assessment, framing the adjustment as a way to balance formative evaluation with systemwide accountability.

    Dwarika emphasized that TTUTA’s demands are rooted in a commitment to improving outcomes for students and supporting educators, not opposing policy change. “We are not obstructionists. We want what is best for our students, who are our nation’s future, but we also need to protect our teachers from unfair emotional and physical burnout. Unreasonable burdens are the last thing any successful policy needs,” he said.

    Walter Stewart, president of the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA), echoed TTUTA’s cautious support in a statement shared via WhatsApp with the Express. Stewart noted that the current SEA framework relies entirely on a single high-stakes examination that only captures a student’s performance on one specific day, under high-pressure conditions. While the SEA provides useful data on a student’s academic readiness, it fails to capture the full range of a child’s creativity, talent and long-term potential, he argued.

    “CAC will give us a more holistic portrait of a student’s achievement, growth and development over time, and will better highlight the skills and competencies that act as building blocks for long-term success,” Stewart said. Like TTUTA, Stewart stressed that the policy’s success hinges on three core prerequisites: clear national assessment standards, consistent and adequate teacher training, and transparent mechanisms to guarantee equity and fairness across all schools. Stewart added that the NPTA supports the framework because it centers student well-being, reduces unnecessary testing stress, and prioritizes meaningful learning over high-stakes performance.

    As of press time, the Express reports that Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath has not responded to requests for comment on the associations’ positions.

    The current push to bring back CAC comes seven years after the policy was scrapped by the then-government in 2016. In April of that year, then Education Minister Anthony Garcia announced that the cohort of students sitting SEA that May would be the last to complete the CAC component. The cabinet’s decision followed a five-week national public consultation on education reform held earlier that year, which collected feedback through in-person public forums and online surveys. Consultation respondents widely criticized the original CAC as a poorly planned framework that placed unfair, undue stress on teachers, students and families, leading to its swift disbandment.

  • Baarden, tatoeages en professionaliteit binnen politiekorps: tijd voor een moderne benadering

    Baarden, tatoeages en professionaliteit binnen politiekorps: tijd voor een moderne benadering

    Social norms and cultural values are in constant flux, shifting alongside broader societal evolution. Practices that were deemed unprofessional, inappropriate or unacceptable just a few decades ago are increasingly accepted by mainstream communities today. This shifting landscape has now reached the Korps Politie Suriname (Suriname Police Corps), sparking a debate over long-standing grooming bans on full beards and visible tattoos among serving officers.

    For generations, the Suriname Police Corps has adhered to a strict policy that prohibited officers from wearing full beards, with the restriction rooted in outdated perceptions that linked facial hair to poor grooming, a lack of discipline and diminished authority. Similarly, tattoos were historically stigmatized as markers of criminal activity and negative public image, barring officers from displaying visible ink.

    But as societal attitudes have transformed dramatically across the globe, the Suriname Police Union (SPU) is now questioning whether these decades-old restrictions still reflect 21st century social reality. Today, well-groomed full beards are a common personal choice for men across all professional sectors, including public service. For many officers, wearing a beard is also a core expression of their religious identity, required by their personal faith. Tattoos, meanwhile, are widely recognized globally as a legitimate form of body art and personal expression, worn by professionals across every walk of life – from doctors and lawyers to teachers, military personnel and police officers.

    As the representative body for Surinamese police officers, the SPU argues that true professional competence is defined by an officer’s conduct, integrity, discipline, expertise, and commitment to carrying out their duties – not by superficial appearance. A neatly maintained beard or a visible tattoo says nothing inherently about an officer’s character, authority, trustworthiness, or ability to serve the public. “Police work is carried out by the officer, not their facial hair or body art,” the union emphasizes.

    Beyond shifting social norms, the SPU frames the debate as a matter of fundamental constitutional and human rights. Suriname is a democratic constitutional state, and Article 8 of its constitution enshrines the principle of equality, banning discrimination on the grounds of religion or personal status. Article 9 further guarantees every citizen the right to physical, psychological and moral integrity. When personal appearance such as a beard is directly tied to an officer’s religious belief or core personal identity, the union questions whether any restriction on that choice can be considered necessary, reasonable, or proportionate under the law.

    These protections are also reinforced by international human rights treaties that Suriname has ratified. Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion, while Article 26 of the same treaty guarantees the right to equal treatment and freedom from discrimination. International human rights norms also explicitly protect personal dignity and personal privacy, rights that are implicated by overly broad grooming restrictions.

    The union is careful to note that this argument does not mean police forces should abandon all grooming and conduct rules. It acknowledges that any police corps has both the right and the responsibility to set reasonable expectations for public representation, discipline and professional standards. But any such rules must be objective, reasonable, proportionate, and applied consistently across all ranks, the SPU says.

    The debate has been sparked by a recent internal incident, in which an officer was reassigned over claims that his beard violated standards of public representativeness. The case has raised urgent, unresolved questions: Is a neatly groomed full beard truly a threat to public representation? Are there objective, evidence-based criteria to back up such a claim? Have fundamental rights and personal religious convictions been adequately considered in disciplinary decisions? And does this outdated approach align with modern societal expectations?

    The SPU points to a growing global trend of police forces updating their policies to reflect changing social norms. A growing number of countries around the world now allow well-groomed beards and visible tattoos for officers, as long as they do not conflict with safety requirements or interfere with an officer’s ability to perform their duties.

    At its core, the debate is not about appearance – it is about what the public actually expects from its police force, the union argues. Modern Surinamese society does not demand superficial uniformity of appearance at the expense of individual rights. Instead, it expects police officers to demonstrate consistent professionalism, integrity, fairness, and high-quality service to the community.

    To drive home this core message, the union concludes: A beard does not do police work. A tattoo does not do police work. That is the work of the police officer.

    This opinion piece was written by Revelino R.M. Eijk, LLB, Chair of the Suriname Police Union, published on June 24.

  • ABCAS Pathways Summit Equips Graduands For Success

    ABCAS Pathways Summit Equips Graduands For Success

    Against a backdrop of growing focus on bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world professional success, the Antigua and Barbuda Accreditation Advisory Society (ABCAS) has brought together a diverse cross-section of education and industry leaders for its inaugural Pathways Summit, a targeted initiative designed to equip graduating students with the tools they need to thrive in their next life stages. The opening ceremony of the gathering kicked off with keynote opening addresses from two of ABCAS’ top leaders: Dr. E. Jonah Greene, the organization’s president, and Dr. Vernon Solomon, chair of the ABCAS Board of Trustees. A wide range of senior stakeholders and distinguished guests from across the nation’s education and private sectors joined the ceremony, including Dr. Na-Ajele Williams-Buffonge, ABCAS vice president, Dalso Henry, permanent secretary of Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education, the full body of ABCAS Board members, and official delegations from leading local educational institutions including The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, the national Board of Education, and the Antigua and Barbuda Accreditation Board. Unlike traditional graduation events that focus solely on celebrating academic achievement, the Pathways Summit centered on practical, actionable skill-building for graduands navigating the transition out of higher education. Attendees gained actionable insights across four critical areas that directly impact post-graduation success: workplace readiness, personal financial management, mental and physical wellness, and launching new entrepreneurial ventures. To ground discussions in real industry experience, Carlene Spencer, learning and development manager at the major local resort Sandals Grande Antigua, shared on-the-ground perspectives on the core competencies and soft skills that modern employers prioritize when evaluating new hires. For his part, Kurt Jno Baptiste led an interactive, engaging workshop focused on building long-term financial empowerment, a skill rarely covered in standard academic curricula. Beyond structured presentations and workshops, the summit created dedicated space for graduands to network one-on-one with representatives from local universities, top regional employers, established entrepreneurs, and public and private support organizations. This direct engagement gave attendees unparalleled access to curated information, tailored resources, and clear pathways to advanced education, employment, and self-employment that they can leverage immediately after graduation. For ABCAS, the Pathways Summit is far more than a one-off event: it is a core manifestation of the organization’s long-standing institutional commitment to student success. Rather than only supporting students through their graduation requirements, ABCAS aims to prepare learners for sustainable, fulfilling careers, successful entrepreneurial ventures, and ongoing lifelong learning as they enter the next chapter of their personal and professional lives.

  • Forced Leave, Vacation Blackouts Dominate ABWU Aviation Sector Meeting

    Forced Leave, Vacation Blackouts Dominate ABWU Aviation Sector Meeting

    A recent gathering of the Airlines and Aviation Section of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) has shone a spotlight on two pressing workplace issues: unfair forced leave policies and underrepresentation of aviation workers, prompting union leadership to commit to targeted action for employee protections.

    The meeting, which brought together top union officials and frontline shop stewards, served as a collaborative space for delegates to surface on-the-job grievances, review shifting dynamics across the country’s aviation sector, and map out collective strategies to advance worker rights. The most heated grievances centered on two vacation-related violations by one unidentified aviation employer: unjustified vacation blackouts and coercive forced leave.

    Workers reported that the company blocks employees from taking leave during their preferred time blocks, even when staff submit formal requests with ample advance notice. In addition, multiple delegates shared accounts of workers being forcibly removed from company premises and ordered to take unscheduled leave against their will.

    Responding to these allegations, ABWU General Secretary David Massiah made a public commitment to push back against what he calls the company’s unlawful, one-sided policy. He emphasized that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code explicitly requires mutual consent from both employers and employees when finalizing vacation scheduling, meaning the company’s current practices violate national labor legislation.

    Beyond addressing immediate labor violations, the meeting also prioritized a long-term goal: growing union density across the entire local aviation sector. Section Chair Steveroy Phillip outlined that expanding membership is critical to ensuring more aviation workers can access the robust protections and benefits locked in through collective bargaining agreements.

    “Our core priority right now is unionizing the ground handling staff at the airport, so they can secure the same fair terms and protections that the rest of us already enjoy,” Phillip said in remarks during the meeting. “We are calling on every current member to reach out to an unorganized colleague, talk to them about the value of our union, and help us build a stronger collective voice for all aviation workers.”

    Phillip also addressed a third ongoing grievance: some employers have refused to grant workers scheduled time off to participate in official union activities, a practice he confirmed constitutes a clear violation of existing collective bargaining agreements between the union and sector employers.

    Despite the range of challenges laid out during the meeting, Phillip struck an optimistic tone about the section’s growth trajectory. He noted that participation in union activities has been steadily increasing as the organization prepares for its 59th Annual General Conference, set to take place this coming September, and expects this upward trend to continue in the coming months.

  • Massive Brawl Breaks Out At Graduation

    Massive Brawl Breaks Out At Graduation

    A moment that should have been full of pride and celebration for graduating students and their loved ones turned into chaotic disorder over the weekend, when a large-scale physical altercation erupted among people attending the milestone event.
    Witnesses recorded footage of the clash, which quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing thousands of comments and reactions from internet users around the country. As of the latest update, law enforcement and event organizers have not released any details about the root cause of the confrontation, leaving many unanswered questions for the public. Officials also have not confirmed whether any people involved sustained injuries during the brawl, nor have they shared updates on potential arrests or the launch of a formal investigation into how the violence unfolded.
    For many communities, graduation ceremonies represent one of the most significant coming-of-age events, honoring years of hard work and academic achievement by students. The unnecessary outbreak of violence at this celebratory gathering has sparked significant disappointment and concern across online spaces, with many commentators noting that the ugly incident completely overshadowed the positive achievements of the graduates who had earned their moment in the spotlight.

  • Young Mother’s Life Cut Short Before Father’s Day

    Young Mother’s Life Cut Short Before Father’s Day

    Belize is reeling from a brutal, senseless act of violence that has left the entire nation in mourning and demanding accountability, after a 23-year-old pregnant woman was shot and killed by motorbike-riding gunmen at a public bus stop just one day before Father’s Day 2026.

    Jane Urbina, seven months pregnant with a baby boy she and her partner had eagerly anticipated, had just wrapped up a visit with her brother Lionel Urbina at Belize Central Prison in Hattieville when the attack unfolded. She was standing at the bus stop alongside her mother, who was forced to watch helplessly as the gunmen opened fire, killing both Jane and her unborn child instantly.

    For Jane’s partner, who had been preparing to welcome his namesake son with the young mother, the sudden loss remains unthinkable. In an emotional phone interview with local outlet News Five, he described her joy in the final days before her death. “The last time I saw her was Friday morning before she left, because she spent the whole week here with me. She was just so happy,” he said, speaking in Belizean Kriol. “I just can’t believe this. I still can’t process this. I don’t know how to feel. To be real with you, I haven’t eaten anything since it happened. Everything we talked about was the baby. She couldn’t wait to meet him, we were so excited to see what he would look like, all the little things that new parents look forward to. We were just so happy.”

    The trauma of the attack falls heaviest on Jane’s mother, who witnessed her daughter’s final moments. Close friend Whitney Hyde shared the devastating details the elder Urbina described to her after the attack. “When we spoke the morning Jane died, her mom told me Jane was begging her, ‘Mom, please, please help me. Please give me air, I can’t breathe,’” Hyde said in a phone interview. “When she said those words, I just burst into tears. I never expected anyone would want to kill Jane in such a brutal way.” The entire family is now left with raw, unprocessed grief, clinging only to memories of the young woman who was days away from starting a new chapter as a mother.

    Investigators from the Belize Police Department are currently working to trace the motive for the targeted killing. A leading line of inquiry centers on the 2025 murder of Kevin DePaz, a case that resulted in Lionel Urbina being taken into custody and held on remand at Belize Central Prison. The visit Jane made to her brother just minutes before the attack has added to speculation that the killing is connected to the ongoing legal case, though no official conclusions have been released.

    The tragedy has also sparked new questions about mental health support for incarcerated people who experience the sudden loss of a close family member. Lionel Urbina, who will never get to see his sister alive again after their final visit, is currently being monitored by prison authorities. George Gomez, CEO of the Kolbe Foundation which manages operations at Belize Central Prison, confirmed that the institution has already taken steps to support him.

    “Mr. Urbina is held in Tango Ten, a restricted protocol cell unit where he is housed alone and monitored regularly, an arrangement that was in place before this incident,” Gomez explained. “After the attack, investigators came to the prison to speak with him, and he was able to place a call to his mother. He is scheduled to meet with our prison psychologist within the hour for an initial assessment.”

    Gomez noted that Lionel has not shown outward signs of severe distress so far, but staff are conducting regular check-ins to monitor his mental state. In addition to on-site psychologists, inmates have access to pastoral care and referrals to external mental health specialists when needed. One major outstanding request, however, hinges on court approval: because Lionel is being held on remand, any request for him to leave custody to attend his sister’s funeral must be approved by the judiciary, and the petition will now be filed by his family.

    As the manhunt for Jane Urbina’s killers continues, the Belizean public is demanding swift action and answers, grappling with how such a brutal act of violence could be carried out in broad daylight, in front of dozens of witnesses, against a young woman who had done nothing to deserve such a fate. What was supposed to be a weekend of celebration for new and expecting fathers has been turned into a period of national mourning for a life and future cut tragically short.

    This report was compiled from original on-the-ground reporting by Britney Gordon for News Five.

  • Graduation Turns Controversial Over Autism Treatment Claims

    Graduation Turns Controversial Over Autism Treatment Claims

    What was meant to be a milestone celebration of early childhood growth has devolved into a heated controversy over disability inclusion at a Belize City preschool, drawing widespread public anger after allegations of purposeful segregation of autistic graduates went viral on social media.

    The incident unfolded June 23 at the Anglican Diocesan Preschool’s annual graduation ceremony, where three young students on the autism spectrum — including 4-year-old Fern Foster’s niece — were intentionally seated far out of sight from most attending families, separated from their non-autistic classmates, according to family claims.

    Foster, who spoke to local media in Belize Kriol, detailed the arrangement that sparked her outrage. Traditionally, all graduating students’ chairs are lined up along the front aisle, where family members can clearly see their children as they process and take their seats. But the three autistic children’s seating was moved: instead of being placed in the main aisle block, their chairs were positioned behind the last row of the front section, hidden from the view of nearly all attendees.

    “If you were seated in the front of the venue, you would not even know there were graduates sitting behind you,” Foster explained. “If you were in the back, you had to stand just to catch a glimpse of them. When other parents stood in the aisle to take photos of their own children as they marched, the autistic graduates were completely blocked from view.”

    For the families involved, the arrangement was far more than a minor seating mistake. It carries a clear, hurtful message about how autistic children are valued in local education, they say. Even for a preschool graduation, which some might dismiss as a small, informal event, the milestone holds enormous significance for caregivers who have worked tirelessly to support their children’s learning and development. Foster added that her niece, who did not create any disruption during the ceremony, accepted the unusual seating without complaint — a fact that makes the exclusion even more unjust.

    Family members also allege that multiple prior requests for accessibility accommodations for the autistic students were ignored by school administration before the ceremony. After the event, a relative shared the incident on social media, where it quickly gained traction, igniting broader conversations about the lack of inclusive practices for neurodivergent children in Belizean schools and community spaces.

    Multiple attempts by local media to reach administrators at Anglican Diocesan Preschool for comment on the allegations have not yielded a response as of the latest reporting.

    This report is based on a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with Kriol language testimony transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accessibility.

  • BUT blames funding gap, closures for private schools outperforming public

    BUT blames funding gap, closures for private schools outperforming public

    Following the release of 2025 Common Entrance examination results that placed private schools clearly ahead of their public-sector counterparts, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) is pressing the nation’s Ministry of Education Transformation for urgent answers about the growing performance divide between the two education systems.

    BUT President Rudy Lovell is pushing for full transparency from the ministry, arguing that any direct comparison of outcomes between private and public schools is inherently unfair given the stark, well-documented gaps in resourcing, parental participation and operational stability that separate the two sectors. The results released Monday made headlines for one key data point: St Gabriel’s, a private Anglican institution, produced both the top-performing boy and top-performing girl in this year’s Common Entrance examination. Notably, the ministry did not release any additional granular data breaking down top-scoring student distribution between private and public schools, leaving broader trends unconfirmed.

    “There are multiple external factors that could drive this performance gap between public and private education institutions,” Lovell stated in his address to reporters. “We need the ministry to share its own analysis of what factors are leading to private schools consistently outperforming public ones.”

    While Lovell was quick to affirm that teaching staff in both sectors hold equally high qualifications, he outlined three key structural advantages that benefit private schools, starting with funding and resource allocation. This point comes despite Barbados consistently allocating roughly 5% of its gross domestic product to public education, a share that ranks among the highest for North American and Caribbean nations. Even with this substantial government investment, Lovell claims that public school teachers are frequently forced to spend personal funds to cover basic classroom needs that go unmet by public budgets.

    “From our perspective, private schools operate with far more robust resourcing than public institutions,” Lovell explained. “Public school teachers already contribute a huge amount of personal funding to keep their classrooms running, purchasing essential learning materials out of their own pockets. We have yet to see whether private school teachers face the same financial burden, and we want clarity on that.”

    A second key disparity Lovell highlighted is the level of parental engagement. While public schools do receive support from caregivers, he noted that this involvement pales in comparison to the consistent, heavy participation seen in most private school communities, a gap that directly impacts student outcomes.

    The third and most disruptive disadvantage facing public schools, Lovell argued, is ongoing infrastructural and environmental challenges that repeatedly force campus closures. These unplanned shutdowns have severely disrupted the academic calendar for public school students, a crisis that almost never impacts private school operations.

    “Any head-to-head comparison of results is unfair when both sectors follow the exact national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education, but operate in completely different conditions,” Lovell emphasized. “When can anyone remember the last time a private school was forced to close for environmental or infrastructural reasons? This year alone, public schools have faced repeated closures tied to these issues, interrupting learning week after week.”

    Beyond the private-public performance divide, Lovell also raised alarm over the persistent downward trend in male student performance relative to female peers. When asked whether current government efforts to support male learners are sufficient, Lovell replied that far more action is needed, and called on the ministry to implement a full overhaul of public school staffing frameworks.

    A core demand from the BUT is the introduction of specialized teaching roles in core subject areas across public primary schools. “We want to see public schools bring on specialized teachers focused specifically on high-priority subjects like mathematics, English, and reading,” Lovell urged. “This targeted expertise would help address performance gaps and support all learners, including our male students who have been falling behind in recent years.”

  • Family Alleges Autistic Kids Were Discriminated During Graduation Ceremony

    Family Alleges Autistic Kids Were Discriminated During Graduation Ceremony

    A preschool graduation ceremony held at Belize City’s ACC Church has sparked heated accusations of ableism and exclusion, after three young autistic graduates were allegedly pushed out of public view during Friday’s event.

    Relatives of the children, who attend Anglican Diocesan Preschool, say the three students were intentionally separated from their peer group, placed in a hidden seating section far behind the main graduating class block. This positioning left the children completely out of sight for family members, no matter whether relatives were seated in the front rows at the venue or the back sections.

    The aunt of one of the autistic graduates told local reporters that the unusual seating arrangement triggered immediate alarm and frustration among the families. “Right away, I was upset. What are you trying to do here? What message are you sending to parents who have worked so hard to get their children to this milestone? Yes, it is just preschool, but for our families, this is a huge achievement worth celebrating,” she explained in an interview.

    The situation worsened during the traditional graduation march, when other parents stood in the venue aisles to take photos of their own children, creating an additional physical barrier that completely blocked any view of the three separated students. By the time the ceremony reached the seating portion, the children’s positions at the far edge of the venue meant no one in the audience could see them, the aunt added.

    Beyond the problematic seating arrangement at the graduation, the families are also raising broader questions about whether educational institutions in Belize are doing enough to accommodate and support neurodivergent students on the autism spectrum.

    The aunt noted that public discourse has appeared to shift toward greater inclusion in recent years, as autism diagnoses have become more common across the country. But she argues that most schools have failed to keep up with this shift, failing to provide staff with the proper accessibility and neurodiversity training needed to support autistic students.

    What is more, the family claims that the Anglican Diocesan Preschool has repeatedly ignored repeated requests for accessibility accommodations for their child throughout the school year, long before the graduation ceremony controversy.

    Local outlet News 5 has confirmed that it reached out to leadership at Anglican Diocesan Preschool to request a response to the allegations, and as of this reporting, no official statement from the school has been released.

  • EC$1,500 Stolen From Fort Road Business Office

    EC$1,500 Stolen From Fort Road Business Office

    A local business located on Fort Road has become the target of a theft incident, where perpetrators made off with a total of 1,500 Eastern Caribbean dollars in cash from the establishment’s office space. Local law enforcement agencies have confirmed that they received the official report of the incident recently, and have launched an ongoing investigation to identify and apprehend the culprits behind the burglary.

    According to preliminary information released by authorities, the break-in occurred at some point when the office was closed and unoccupied, which gave thieves the opportunity to gain unauthorized access to the premises. The stolen funds were being held at the business for daily operational purposes, and the loss has created unexpected financial disruption for the small commercial operation.

    Local police are currently reviewing any available security camera footage from the surrounding area and interviewing potential witnesses who may have seen suspicious activity near the Fort Road location around the time of the incident. Investigators are also asking anyone in the community with relevant information about the theft to come forward and assist with their inquiry, to help recover the stolen money and hold those responsible accountable.

    This incident has drawn attention to security concerns among local business owners in the Fort Road area, with many considering stepping up their own workplace security measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring at their establishments.