Stolen From, Then Set Alight: Four Arrested After a Fire at a St Ann Adventist Church

• Four males, the youngest 15, were arrested after a fire at Exchange Seventh-day Adventist Church in St Ann
• Police say items were stolen before sections of the building were set on fire
• Firefighters and police responded; the suspects were held after cooling-down operations
• Charges were pending further investigation

Four males, including a 15-year-old boy, were arrested after the Exchange Seventh-day Adventist Church in St Ann was robbed and set on fire, the Jamaica Observer reported.

Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, head of the St Ann Police, said the males reportedly stole several items from the church and then set fire to sections of the building. The fire brigade and the police responded. After the cooling-down operations, Powell said, the suspects were accosted by the police.

Besides the 15-year-old, those held were two 19-year-olds and a 21-year-old. The report said charges would be laid pending further investigations. It did not say what was taken, how much of the building was damaged, or what the repair bill would be. Nor did it say whether the church was insured.

A fire of this kind, whether it destroys a whole building or only part of one, can set a congregation back badly, and the cost of repairs usually falls on the members. A damaged roof, burnt furniture or ruined electrical wiring can take a small congregation years of fundraising to replace, especially where the building is under-insured or not insured at all.

For church trustees, the Exchange case is a reminder of three points. First, buildings that stand empty most of the week need basic security: lighting, locks, and where possible cameras or a caretaker living nearby. Second, the insurance policy should be checked against the real cost of rebuilding today, not what the building cost when it was put up, and the contents such as instruments and sound equipment should be listed. Third, an up-to-date inventory with photos speeds up both a police report and an insurance claim. Congregations and diaspora supporters funding church improvements should include security and insurance in the budget from the start.

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