KINGSTON, Jamaica — Players within Jamaica’s Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) sector are at increasing risk of being attacked, robbed and even killed by gangsters.

In such a scenario, business operators may be forced to take steps to defend themselves.

These were the views expressed by well known businessman, Dwight Moore, while speaking with OBSERVER ONLINE on Saturday. This was one day after Moore, a well known businessman, was announced as the recipient for a national honour, the Badge of Honour for Gallantry.

Moore is being recognised for his “act of bravery and heroism” in saving the life of a policeman who was under attack on August 19, 2020. He will be among 144 Jamaicans who will be conferred with national honours on National Heroes Day, Monday, October 18.

Moore has not been vocal about the incident and as such he has been bombarded with questions about when, where and how the incident happened, since Friday’s announcement that he will be recognised for his act of selflessness.

Interestingly, Moore posited that apart from small business operators who are preyed on constantly by gangsters, the very gangsters who target them are themselves among the most vulnerable in the society. He said this was so because of their criminal lifestyle, which often pits gangster against gangster and gangster against the police, often ending with devastating consequences for the criminals.

As far as small business operators are concerned, Moore said “We are high risk as entrepreneurs, unlike some government officials and CEOs of corporations that nobody sees or they’re distant or they’re highly secured”.

Regarding the story behind him being recommended for a national honour, Moore told OBSERVER ONLINE that the staff at one of his businesses had been under constant attack from criminal elements over a period of time.

In addition, he said a number of things, including murders, had taken place within close proximity to where his business is located. According to Moore, he decided that his staff “needed peace and so I deployed myself and other security personnel”.

Moore explained further that on the day in question, it so happened that customers, who coincidentally happened to be off-duty police personnel were held up at the location.

“I saw it and I simply responded the way I would have hoped some other person, whether a private citizen or law enforcement officer or somebody else, would have responded if I were in that position,” said Moore.

“The truth of the matter is that it’s glorious to be able to be in the position I was in (to come to the defence of the policeman) but it’s not something I go around and really celebrate,” Moore noted.

“I’m not boasting about being engaged but the truth is that I am ready to be engaged, I’m conditioned to be engaged, I train to be engaged but you’re not looking forward to being engaged,” he added with a laugh.

The fearless businessman had a warning for criminals.

“I’m extremely sensitised to policing and law enforcement and I am extremely conditioned to respond to criminals,” he declared.

Moore revealed that he grew up around law enforcement with family members who have served at the level of commissioner of police and deputy commissioner of police in the Jamaica Constabulary Force.