Burglaries not linked to cash-for-gold services – officials
BVI News Staff - Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 at 12:19 PM
There is nothing to suggest that the robbing of gold items are related to the cash-for-gold services that are provided periodically in the territory, government officials have indicated.
On the Monday night edition of the NDP Radio program, the show’s hostess Eileen Parsons said: “All of a sudden we have this cash for gold coming in. It is coming in Thursday, Friday and Saturday and people are feeling that the break-ins and stealing of gold things…. although these people are saying bring picture ID …. I could go with a picture ID but there is nothing to say that the gold I am selling is mine; sure I have my picture ID, but what does that prove? I don’t know if that have any bearing on the break-ins, but the feeling of the community is that it might be in a way responsible.”
“I heard that this kind of business was banned in certain Caribbean islands because they found out that just before they ventured in you have the break-ins and the stealing of gold articles. I don’t know how true it is but this is a feeling in certain segment of the community including some of the blogs,” she added.
However, Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith, who was a member of the panel, attempted to put the notion to rest by announcing that to his knowledge this was not the case.
“I do understand that there is a feeling, however the police have been looking at this matter very closely and they are not convinced that there is a direct relation between the cash for gold and the stealing.
“However we are looking at it very closely and soon we will be making the determination on whether it is necessary to intervene in some way as far as that particular activity is concerned,” the Premier said.
Copyright 2012 BVI News, Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
22 Comments
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Cash for gold encourages theft.The local lad shot escaping a robbery clutching a gold chain was doing it for fast cash.Now we are having thieves grab a chain in broad daylight from your neck.This is new to Tortola and the public has good reason to believe this is encouraged by fast cash.Gold chains are mass produced and hard to identify as belonging to any particular person so they have become the perfect steal and sell for the thief. Stop this now before more lives are lost in this race for cash.
Tain the licensed cash for gold business I worried about tis them black market ones who actually encouraging the thiefing and we the honest hard working people don’t know who they are…
The BVI need to stop and take a look at what is good for the territory. Why do we need cash for gold operating in the BVI, Why do we support those who want to come and disenfranchise our people of their wealth.Why must people be enticed to get rid of their gold and in many cases god heirlooms pased on to them by their ancestors.Let cash for gold go back to where they originated.Do not give license for people to come and take gold out of our country.
I like that the fact that Cash for Gold asks for identification and copies the jewelry. WHY?
Let us break it down. Imagine that I took pictures of my jewelry and have them saved in my email. Then Dummy comes and steals my jewelry from my home. Dummy gives them to his girlfriend Assinina to take to Cash for Gold. Assinina gives her correct Govt. ID to CfG with the stolen items.
All the police have to do is compare the photocopies of the jewelry and IDs with the my pics, make the match and pick up Assinina. Of course, Assinina will either rat on Dummy for a deal or go to Ballo for a short term for handling stolen goods.
So let CfG come because there are lots of Assininas and Dummys who like to take up people’s stuff. Please, the same way I’ve broken it down – the thieves are – they’ll take their chances with selling on the streets.
This assumes that CFG provides all the pictures of all the jewelry to the police who have pictures of all the jewelry stolen and match them all up. I dont think so.
That is providing that Assinina, Dummy or whomever gives their correct Govt ID and not a fraudulent one.
let me tell cash don’t need to in tola cum on look at st. thomas people gettin killed for them own thing.. they need to sit and think bout this cash for company cause they are goin to pay for it later on… then the rock man goin cum for tola man thing them hmm what is tola cumin to … NDP hmmm
The english teachers dread reading these blogs.
dr Smith is losing it. What is he talking about? sigh
the thieves are tired of riding gindhies at nite to go to St T to sell their take, so they asked the “FENCES” to come here!
News Flash, people aren’t just stealing jewelry so you cant say that the increased robberies is related to cash for gold. People have been stealing jewelry for years how many time have their been fights in jouvert since the 90′s because someone snatched a chain. This has been happening for a long time. Wear a big chain around thugs and they will snatch it. The purpose of breaking and entering other peoples property is to take any and everything that is of value. If they could have gotten away with taking the house itself they would have. Crime on a whole has increased in recent times due to the “recession” and an increase in deliquency in youths of today. Cash for gold is another means by which they can get paid for their stolen property but is far from the root of the problem. The timing with the emergence of Cash for Gold is just a coincident as back then there wasnt as much delinquents, criminals, young hoodlums as we have now. It dont take a rocket scientist to see that crime has increased greatly in the BVI.
I was a victim of a home burglary. The youth stole every piece of jewelry that had a smidgen of gold on it. He was caught and confessed he sold my gold for not even 5% of the value to some fence here in Tortola. The police know who that fence is and I opted to refrain from pressing charges in hopes of having some monetary compensation from his parents because my belongings were long gone. The point is that this young man was urged by this ‘fence’ to steal gold jewelry for cash. All his friends were. Where do you think this known “gold-dealer” is selling the goods? Maybe a few pieces are sold back on the streets but he, and others like him, are getting a return on their paltry investment by selling, in bulk, to establishments like this Cash For Gold. Perhaps the fences don’t sell to the local store or perhaps they elicit the help of several friends to sell it to the company in exchange for a percentage of the profit, but I guarantee you, this is where these fences are selling our gold jewelry thieved from our homes!
do these people have trade licenses to do this sort of business in the bvi dr smith?
It’s done through a local licensed business.
what u says makes no sense. so r u saying if my business is licensed to sell clothes, my license can also cover selling cash for gold?
Orlando Smith Must not be living on tola.. u have to be a moo moo to think it don’t have nothing to do with cash for gold. Before cash for gold start nobody use to get rob for gold chains like that..now u hardly seeing people with chains.. Man from st.thomas coming over here and robbing then going rock and cash it in. Even some of the local stores here buying gold… The Gov need to STOP …just STOP talk crap and stop that cash for gold crap
shut up! you must be the one not living on tola. robbery of gold chain been happening for many many years now so stop dissing the man
You shut up, I said get robbed for chain LIKE THAT.. it never use to happen as often.. IDIOT
“however the police have been looking at this matter very closely and they are not convinced that there is a direct relation between the cash for gold and the stealing”
OHHHH BS them probably the ones doing it or their family and making a special trip to St. Thomas as well. We never really have this robbery thing sooo bad before this cash for gold thing came. Mr. Premier, look again.
It is sad when bloggers like you can use this medium to call or suggest that the Honourable Premier must be a “Moo moo”. I guess no one can expressed their opinions and what they have learnt.
I am equally surprised and disappointed that the Administrator of BVI news would have verified your post and then post it for the general public to see.
While I must that freedom of speech is a fundamental human rights enshrined in the constitution, we must not be fooled in believing that disrespecting our leaders or anyone else is cool and is right. Well it isn’t cool nor is it right.
still all humans so take da broom stick 5 inches from ur a$$. leader pastor republican etc… liberty bell standing middle of the sea on her own little island for a bloody reason. cut him red blood cut you red blood. catch the drift now… small minded nincompoop. ppl like u hmmm love to tell ppl what to say. who is u
“hmph”
What ?????????????????
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