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Violated!! - Robbers break into home of OD honouree
By PAUL A REID Observer West writer
Thursday, October 20, 2011
IRONSHORE, St James — LESS than 24 hours after he was awarded with an Order of Distinction for his decades of service at Monday's annual Heroes Day ceremony at Kings House, Montego Bay businessman and sports official Ray Harvey returned to his Ironshore home to find it broken into and valuable items stolen.
A crestfallen Harvey told Observer West yesterday he went from "my highest high to my lowest low" between receiving the honour on Monday to getting a call the next morning to say his home had been vandalised and over a million dollars worth of appliances, his wife's jewellery and her medical equipment stolen.
Ray Harvey (right) receiving an Order Of Distinction from Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen at Monday’s annual Heroes’ Day ceremony at Kings House
Former national track and field representative and a former president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, Ray Harvey accepts his OD from Sir Patrick Allen at last Monday’s Heroes Day ceremony
Ray Harvey (right) receiving an Order Of Distinction from Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen at Monday’s annual Heroes’ Day ceremony at Kings House 1/2
His wife Dr Winsome Miller-Rowe Harvey lost valuable pieces of jewellery as well as a "brand new" iMac computer "still in the box it came in" as well as other appliances including a DVD player, flat screen television. Three doors in the home were also damaged.
Dr Harvey, who is also a musician, said she lost much of her music which was stored on computers. Harvey who is a former national track and field representative and a former president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, a current meet director for several track and field events in the island and main organiser for the Milo Western Relays, said what he felt most was the "violation" of his home.
Harvey who has been involved with the staging of the one-day Milo Western Relays since 1985 when he joined up with co-founder Aubrey Campbell was one of five persons recognised on Monday for their contribution to sports.
In a recent interview with Observer West Harvey said that he was especially proud of his contributions to athletics in Western Jamaica and the "tremendous improvement in the quality of Western Jamaica's Track meets, which now attract the majority of Jamaica's outstanding athletes."
He claimed that this improvement had resulted from his insistence that officials who run meets are trained and suitably qualified.
A senior officer attached to the Coral Gardens police station told Observer West that there had not been a noticeable upsurge in break ins in the affluent neighbourhood but admitted that there were periodic robberies.
The police officer who asked that his identity be protected told Observer West that while he was not personally aware of the break in at the Harvey residence, he knew of a previous attempt at a neighbour's house. Two persons had been held in connection with that incident, he said.
"We think we have a handle on the situation" he said. The police officer explained that over-gown lots and abandoned buildings in the area provided cover for criminals.
He said that labourers who worked in the area as gardeners or in construction have been held in connection to some break ins. The police had developed a strategy to make unannounced visits to construction sites to "check out the persons working there."
The police officer said there were no suspicions of gang related activities in the Ironshore area.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/weste...#ixzz1bKPxG2Gy
By PAUL A REID Observer West writer
Thursday, October 20, 2011
IRONSHORE, St James — LESS than 24 hours after he was awarded with an Order of Distinction for his decades of service at Monday's annual Heroes Day ceremony at Kings House, Montego Bay businessman and sports official Ray Harvey returned to his Ironshore home to find it broken into and valuable items stolen.
A crestfallen Harvey told Observer West yesterday he went from "my highest high to my lowest low" between receiving the honour on Monday to getting a call the next morning to say his home had been vandalised and over a million dollars worth of appliances, his wife's jewellery and her medical equipment stolen.
Ray Harvey (right) receiving an Order Of Distinction from Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen at Monday’s annual Heroes’ Day ceremony at Kings House
Former national track and field representative and a former president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, Ray Harvey accepts his OD from Sir Patrick Allen at last Monday’s Heroes Day ceremony
Ray Harvey (right) receiving an Order Of Distinction from Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen at Monday’s annual Heroes’ Day ceremony at Kings House 1/2
His wife Dr Winsome Miller-Rowe Harvey lost valuable pieces of jewellery as well as a "brand new" iMac computer "still in the box it came in" as well as other appliances including a DVD player, flat screen television. Three doors in the home were also damaged.
Dr Harvey, who is also a musician, said she lost much of her music which was stored on computers. Harvey who is a former national track and field representative and a former president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, a current meet director for several track and field events in the island and main organiser for the Milo Western Relays, said what he felt most was the "violation" of his home.
Harvey who has been involved with the staging of the one-day Milo Western Relays since 1985 when he joined up with co-founder Aubrey Campbell was one of five persons recognised on Monday for their contribution to sports.
In a recent interview with Observer West Harvey said that he was especially proud of his contributions to athletics in Western Jamaica and the "tremendous improvement in the quality of Western Jamaica's Track meets, which now attract the majority of Jamaica's outstanding athletes."
He claimed that this improvement had resulted from his insistence that officials who run meets are trained and suitably qualified.
A senior officer attached to the Coral Gardens police station told Observer West that there had not been a noticeable upsurge in break ins in the affluent neighbourhood but admitted that there were periodic robberies.
The police officer who asked that his identity be protected told Observer West that while he was not personally aware of the break in at the Harvey residence, he knew of a previous attempt at a neighbour's house. Two persons had been held in connection with that incident, he said.
"We think we have a handle on the situation" he said. The police officer explained that over-gown lots and abandoned buildings in the area provided cover for criminals.
He said that labourers who worked in the area as gardeners or in construction have been held in connection to some break ins. The police had developed a strategy to make unannounced visits to construction sites to "check out the persons working there."
The police officer said there were no suspicions of gang related activities in the Ironshore area.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/weste...#ixzz1bKPxG2Gy