3 hours less to fete, no glass bottles

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young says he will make a proposal to Cabinet for Carnival Tuesday to end three hours earlier and all glass bottles to be banned for Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

He was speaking yesterday at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's and said these were two things for Carnival 2020 that he intends to discuss with stakeholders and then seek Cabinet approval.

He said he was proposing a shortening of the proclamation of the Carnival period, as there was no need for it to go to all the way to midnight on Tuesday. He added security forces have pointed out that no other country's Carnival, including Brazil and Europe, has such an extended period from Carnival Thursday night all the way to Tuesday.

Young said in discussions with heads of security on Wednesday, the idea was floated to end the festival at 9 pm on Carnival Tuesday.

"No one will lose out. It provides for more safety and security. It assists us with traffic, because one of the things we are always conscious of is getting people in and out of Port of Spain, back to their homes, in a safe and secure manner. And if we close off at nine o'clock on a Tuesday night of Carnival, it just allows for more of that flow. Those three-hour periods will not be lost, and when we look at the statistics, that is actually where a lot of criminal activity takes place, for a variety of reasons."

Asked if there were statistics about the rise in criminal activity in the last few hours of Carnival, Young replied he did not have statistics, but could speak from his experience. "When it gets dark Carnival Tuesday, the mood starts to change."

Young said the types of crimes that happen later on Carnival Tuesday include minor robberies such as snatching jewellery and pickpocketing, but these can quickly escalate into more serious crimes.

Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert, who was also at yesterday's conference, said at 5.30 pm on a Carnival Tuesday the number of "stormers" in Carnival bands increases and it was a very serious matter.

Young spoke of a ban of glass bottles next year. "I intend to ban all glass bottles for the Monday and Tuesday of Carnival and I may even ask that the Cabinet approve the banning of glass bottles in public places...also at Carnival parties prior to Monday and Tuesday for Carnival 2020."

He said when Carnival was brought to an abrupt stop at Ariapita Avenue on Carnival Tuesday afternoon, part of the problem was the glass bottles that had accumulated.

"From a security point of view, this is a debate that we had prior to Carnival. Unfortunately the decision wasn't taken prior to this Carnival. But I am putting the population on alert that I intend to ban glass bottles next year."

He said while police were able to lock down all the arteries coming into Port of Spain for J'Ouvert 2019 and stopped and searched people to ensure knives and other dangerous weapons did not come in, "Think about the accumulation of bottles, in particular on a Carnival Tuesday from early in the morning along these streets, and these bottles just being dumped there." He added while some bottles are picked up, a lot of them are not.

"Persons are intoxicated over the whole period of Carnival Tuesday and then tend to use these bottles as weapons."

He noted Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith spoke about an incident where criminal elements descended on Ariapita Avenue on Carnival Tuesday, but thanks to previous planning and intelligence, police were able to quickly avert it and the CoP shut off the music.

"Why we were not able to apprehend those involved in the criminal activity is because by then it was very dark, it was difficult to identify who exactly were engaging in this. There were some persons who were began throwing bottles and using these glass bottles. So for Carnivals 2020 prepare yourself for the banning of glass bottles."

He said he will be engaging stakeholders on the ban, which will mostly affect beer bottles. He added the move will require legislation via the Carnival regulations and will be looked at this year. He said people breaching the law will be subject to a fine.

Imbert pointed out that Carnival promoters had instituted a self-imposed ban on bottles for more than three years.

He also reported that after the Lenten period there will be a meeting with Carnival stakeholders on how to improve safety and security.