Republic Bank’s Kitty machine can be a dangerous place

NOVEMBER 23, 2015 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER FEATURES / COLUMNISTS, FREDDIE KISSOON

I go jogging every morning and my route would be through Kitty. Last Sunday, I had to pass through Pike Street, Kitty. I am talking about 7 am. When I reached Barr Street heading south on Alexander Street, a woman called out from her car. She said from worshipping, she was heading up the East Bank of Demerara where she has to take some money to her sister, a businesswoman.

She pointed out that she drove up to Republic Bank’s ATM on Alexander Street between Thomas and Pike Streets. She recalled that as she was about to enter the outlet, three young boys who were standing across the street began to walk over to her. She said she became fearful and went back into the car. That was when she saw me. She wanted me to accompany her back to the ATM. My initial reaction was one of profiling. The police pick on urban African youths in working class and depressed areas. She intoned that the boys were standing on the opposite side of the road and moved toward her when she came out of the vehicle.

With a virtual crime plague that has enveloped the land, I was fearful of going with her but I wanted to see for myself. It was an early Sunday morning and Alexander Street was deserted and so were the neighbouring roadways. I drove in front of her. There the boys were. Three of them and they were directly watching at me as I came out of the car. I went to her, told her I was uncertain of the situation and my opinion is that we should drive away and use another machine and that would be the end of the story. She agreed.

I have no reason to disbelieve her when she said the lads moved toward her. I do not know if these boys wanted to rob her but I do know they were staring at me with unashamed eyes as I pulled up to the machine with her. I would never know but in today’s Guyana, one cannot and should not take chances.

A nationally known politician, Oscar Clark, was robbed. One of the top policemen in the force, maybe he is one of five who sits on top of the hierarchy was robbed. Anyone can get mugged or mauled by robbers at any moment in Guyana.

What I do know from what I saw is that the ATM is not in a secure area. Republic Bank’s Kitty ATM was located from the beginning at the extremely busy Guyoil gas station at Alexander Street and Public Road. That place is always packed and there are always three Guyoil security personnel with guns on the premises. There was no need for an ATM user to be afraid.

I don’t what caused Republic Bank to move but that location in terms of security wasn’t just good but almost perfect. The other Republic Bank ATM outlets I know have very serious security protection.

One is at the Head Office at New Market and Waterloo Streets. There are always four guards on duty. Next, there is Robb and Camp Streets. They too have about three guards. Thirdly, there is the one at Water and Robb Streets where there are two guards. Republic Bank’s Kitty ATM is now at the entrance of a house on Pike Street. It appears that Republic Bank is renting from the owner. I hope there isn’t a conflict of interest there. But interesting, is the fact that the house owner has placed large concrete slabs on the bridge so you cannot park there to access the machine. You have to park on Pike Street itself. There is no guard. The place is always lonely, especially when traffic dies down. My honest advice to customers is given what Guyana is going through, try another ATM. My honest advice to Republic Bank is to move it.

The location of an ATM in my opinion should be in heavily populated sites or have security protection for users. If you put an ATM where the street has no one in the early morning or after sundown, you are asking for trouble. One of the problems we have in this country is that we cannot determine the statistics on crime because untold numbers do not report them. In my community, a businessman and his wife were robbed at their gate. They did not report it.

My neighbour’s store was robbed. She never reported it. Use a secure ATM!