Thieves strike Hatters panyard in San Fernando

Thieves broke into Hatters Steel Orchestra’s panyard in San Fernando and stole more than $200,000 worth of equipment and musical instruments, including steelpans.

The band’s PRO Withfield Weekes made the discovery on Thursday at about 5 pm.

Up to Friday afternoon, when Newsday visited the site at Lady Hailes Avenue, Weekes and other officials, including trustee Odel Mitchell and chairman Wayne Poliah, were still assessing their loss.

He hopes the perpetrators feel the full brunt of the law as the missing items represent years of "toil and sweat."

"Who would compensate us? We know that despite whatever, we will get our band back," Weekes said.

A police report said the PRO last saw several steelpans and other musical instruments at a room in the panyard at around 5 pm last Sunday.

When he returned on Thursday, he discovered the sliding metal door unlocked and half-way pulled open and several items missing.

San Fernando police, including PCs Sooknanan and Ramdath, WPC Alexander and other officers, visited the scene. PC Ramdath is continuing enquires.

On Friday, Weekes recalled that since September, items began missing from the compound. The first major item that went missing was a large metal gate. During the Christmas season, people stole electrical wires and electrical equipment, exposing live wires.

Fearful someone may get electrocuted, band members disconnected the electricity supply.

Owing to ongoing road works to widen Lady Hailes Avenue, Weekes said a Udecott official had assured that band members would be allowed to use a nearby compound (the Ministry of Works and Transport department). The assurance was given before the thefts started.

Weekes said the plan is to demolish the Hatters building and relocate it further back to facilitate the San Fernando Waterfront Developement project.

"We would like that promise to be fulfilled. We are hoping to function from the ministry’s department building. Hatters is the oldest pan band in San Fernando," Weekes said.

"(On Saturday), the band members start a virtual music class for younger members teaching them to read and write music."

He said the panyard was last valued at $650,000 and they gave up the land because they did not want to obstruct the development of the country in the form of the waterfront project. He hoped San Fernando West MP, Faris Al-Rawi would have discussions with Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan on their behalf to expedite the temporary move since they were willing to vacate for the project.

“We are hoping there could be some collaboration between the MP for the area, and minister Sinanan could give us the permission to move in and we could start to have some semblance of normalcy. We could start back rehearsals, give classes, and most importantly, secure our instruments.”

He added that, on Saturday, a representative from the San Fernando West MP’s Office visited the panyard and told them Al-Rawi would have a discussion with them “in due course,” hopefully next week.

The band’s chairman listed some of the missing items. They are 11 tenors, four double tenors, four double seconds, a pair of congas, a drum set, a stereo, a DVD player, a small television, a big cooler, four window frames, 22 folding chairs and ten to 12 cases of beer bottles.

"The $200,000 figure does not include the rewiring process. They (perpetrators) vandalised the place," Poliah said.

Poliah said the band started in 1946 and has been at the current location for the past 44 years. Members of the now-defunct Broadway Syncometers band started the band.

In 1957, Hatters won Band of the Year title with mas in San Fernando. The winning streak continued for a few years. For a few years later, the band did not function. In 1975, it won the Panorama competition, he said.

Anyone willing to assist can contact Weekes at 460-8116.