Thieves who hit churches have become so brazen that they are even preying on people who are at the altar.
Only last Old Year’s Night, at the stroke of midnight, while the entire congregation was before the altar at Emmanuel Baptist Church on President Kennedy Drive, St Michael, a man calmly walked in and dipped his hands into the pocketbook and purse of two elderly members, slipping away with nearly $300 in ill-gotten gains.
It was only after the unsuspecting women returned to their seats that the alarm was raised, but despite a few members recalling seeing a youth “with red boxers showing”, no one was able to lay hands on the culprit.
This and other incidents of sacrilege islandwide have not only caused shock and disgust among the religious community, but have resulted in churches having to pump thousands of dollars – originally intended for the poor and needy – into boosting security to protect their members and property.
