Business operators urged to make crisis drills routine

Assistant Superintendent of Police Romario Rankin, of the St Catherine South Division, is calling for business establishments, particularly those deemed high-value targets for organised criminals, to include detailed crisis drills as part of their routine operations.

Rankin’s caution followed a hijack-and-hostage simulation exercise yesterday that left passers-by in the vicinity of the Total gas station and the Bank of Nova Scotia, off Municipal Boulevard in Portmore, St Catherine, at first concerned and later in awe.

The simulation started around 9:30 a.m., and saw elite members of the security company and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) intercepting a truck, negotiating with an individual acting as a hostage taker, before securing the criminal, victims, and property in the vehicle.

Guns out and with a stealthy approach - a sniper team securing the area from a nearby rooftop - the security forces put on a spectacle as they dragged the man acting as the hostage taker from the truck, placed him on the ground, and handcuffed him. Some passers-by recorded the ordeal on their phones.

“It (simulation) was crafted to see how we would react and what level of capabilities we are at. That way, we know what we need to acquire for the future if we need them,” explained Rankin, noting that the lawmen who participated in the drill included seasoned hostage and hostility management professionals.

Portmore’s crime situation is much better than it has been in recent years when criminals carried out several daring, heavily-armed heists in the municipality, one at the Scotia Bank, metres from where the drill took place. However, Rankin said businesses need not leave applicable safety scenarios to chance.

“We are seeing a reduction in our major crimes, and our clear-up rate is also very good, but I wouldn’t weigh it on the ambit of the crime climate presently. All establishments need to carry out these types of drills,” he stressed, noting, however, that the type of simulation would depend on the nature of the business. Natural disaster drills are a must, he emphasised.

“It’s an evolving (crime) environment, and what we would have planned for five years ago, you have to now upgrade and change it for this new era. Things keep changing, so you have to make adjustments and plan for scenarios that you might come in contact with.”

Yesterday, the security manager for the establishment which commissioned the drill, deemed it a success, adding that it was a regular part of their safety schedule, and reported that based on yesterday’s findings, the establishment is about 70 per cent prepared for such a situation.

Meanwhile, John Green, operations manager for response at King Alarm, said his company participates in several similar drills at some of the nation’s critical infrastructure, such as ports and petrol stations, with an aim to counter any threats that may present themselves.

“It is best practice to have your security provider involved in these activities. That way, you know exactly how to respond, what your responsibilities are. My officers are very prepared, we conduct regular training exercises with our response team, and our trainers would have been persons from the JCF and JDF (Jamaica Defence Force) response teams,” said Green.

“There is a line of demarcation, however, where our responsibility as civilians stops and the police take over,” he said.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.coM