Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter

Firemen from Port Maria in St. Mary yesterday assisted in the clean-up of the local Courts furniture store that was flooded and looted late last week. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

When flood waters covered much of Port Maria, St. Mary, last week, many persons used the opportunity to break into and loot the local Courts furniture store. Even as a television camera crew captured their every move, the looters made off with television sets, fans and even refrigerators. Yesterday, operations director at Courts, John Roberts, said he was disappointed with the residents' actions. "Especially in such a small community where everyone knows each other, I expected a lot better," he said.

Mr. Roberts spent yesterday overseeing cleanup work at the Port Maria branch of Courts. Local firemen were helping to wash the mud out of the store and a yellow crime scene tape was used to keep unwanted persons out. There were also several policemen around.

"We lost a lot. Mostly the things that were small enough for people to carry. Whatever we lost to water damage, we lost about the same amount to looters," Mr. Roberts said.

There are about 24 persons on staff at that branch. "We've made arrangements for them to be relocated to the Ocho Rios and Annotto Bay branches so that they don't have to stay at home," Mr. Roberts noted. The Port Maria branch may not reopen before next week, so Mr. Roberts advised that customers who have accounts there, may make transactions at the Ocho Rios branch.