Latest update April 2nd, 2025 8:00 AM
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Vryman’s Erven Secondary hit by thieves again
Thieves have once again hit the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School in New Amsterdam. The school, which is a regular target for thieves, recently had its staff room broken into and ransacked. Window panes of the Deputy Head-teacher’s office were also removed in a bid to gain access. They carted off the school’s water pump, leaving the teachers and students without potable water for much of the past week.
A new pump was purchased by the guard service and returned to the school yesterday.
The Vryman’s Erven Secondary School.
The school is protected by round-the-clock guards under the security firm, ‘Homesafe Security’ of Main and Trinity Streets, New Amsterdam. There are supposed to be four guards stationed on every shift.
According to reports, the guards would regularly sleep on the job. None of the guards on duty during the night of the break-in saw or heard anything.
“When I asked about the pump, he said he don’t know nothing about it; he said he ain’t know about it and he ain’t paying for no pump,” one neighbour recalled.
Kaieteur News was informed that break-ins at the school are regular occurrences, even though the facility is under watch by guards. Several guard services have been attached to the school over the years.
About ten years ago, thieves broke into a newly-constructed concrete hut and carted off a large generator. The guard hut was located right next to that hut. The generator was never replaced.
A few weeks ago, the school’s canteen was also vandalized. “Is so this security service operating—just so! If we work overtime, we ain’t getting paid for the overtime, you know,” complained one of the security guards attached to the firm.
“They don’t pay—that’s why we working our straight hours and when time reaches, we gone,” the guard stated. He said that they are forced to leave their posts whether they are relieved by a new guard or not, since they are not paid for overtime. It was reported that several guards have accumulated overtime since December of last year but have not been paid.
Even the supervisors are being accused of not making spot- checks on their employees at their various posts. “In the night, who feel like checking, they check—who ain’t feel like checking, is duh…so it a guh. Everybody doing their own thing!”
Several efforts to reach the Head of Homesafe Security proved futile.
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