President of the Estate Police Association Eddison Munro wants the National Security Ministry to revoke the operating licence of Sentinel Security Services Ltd. The call came yesterday as Munro and his association continued to show their displeasure over some aspects of the company's operations in the wake of the death of 59-year-old veteran security officer Bert Clarke, who was killed during a robbery on Wednesday.
Armed robbers made off with an estimated $17 million after Clarke was fatally shot near the Trincity Industrial Estate along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, Tunapuna. In a phone interview yesterday, Munro said the security company should have had added security for the run. "They should have had three vehicles when escorting that amount of cash," he said. "At that hour in the morning, the estate police should have also been notified and they could have sought police assistance."
Munro said the company should have had two or three other vehicles on the job, with three people in each. "There is nothing being done with the company but business as usual...they still have one security armed officer and one who is unarmed on duty," he alleged. "There are companies that have properly armed vehicles. With that quantum of money there is supposed to be added strength." Munro reiterated that the association had written to Sentinel several times in the past highlighting areas that needed to be addressed.
"Six times they have been robbed for the year," he said. "We requested meetings and highlighted concerns to discuss the security operations of the company. We even spoke with OSH Authority for the officers going out there. We are still awaiting intervention of the OSH Authority and the company to discuss those issues." "We place that death solely on the company and we, as a result, are calling on the authorities to revoke the licence (for) operating as a security company."
Munro said his association had also been in contact with Clarke's family to offer condolences. "We offer our condolences and the association will see what way we can assist and console the family." A senior manager at Amalgamated Security (who refused to be named) yesterday agreed that more security was needed, "with more firepower, and that van was not the ideal choice for that.
The armoured vehicle was the right choice." Calls made to the PBX at Sentinel Security Services remained unanswered up to late yesterday evening. Sources said the company was not taking any phone calls after it was flooded with calls after Clarke's death. Police up to late yesterday had no suspects in custody but were receiving assistance from the driver of the Sentinel vehicle. Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams was contacted for comment yesterday. He said: "I spoke with the deputy and they will be dealt with."
Clarke's funeral will be held at 1 pm on Monday at the Faith Assembly Ministries at Five Rivers, Arouca.