CoP vows to act if covid19 rules flouted: I HAVE THE POWER

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith  PHOTO SUREASH CHOLAI
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith PHOTO SUREASH CHOLAI

A TOUGH-TALKING Police Commissioner Gary Griffith was clear on Wednesday that while he serves at the State's pleasure, he is prepared and has the power to act to uphold the law, even if it means ordering the closure of institutions not adhering to strict covid19 rules such as social distancing.

At a press conference at Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, a little over two hours after Prime Minister Dr Rowley held his own media conference, Griffith cited the role of the commissioner under the ambit of the Constitution and said that based on these provisions, he is well within his authority to order the closure of any institution that could potentially endanger the lives of citizens.

His press conference was the final act in a three-part series of events on Wednesday all stemming from one public sin: citizens ignoring social distancing rules, which is in effect the world over, as a means of slowing the spread of the virus. As of 6 pm on Wednesday, five deaths were blamed on the virus in TT, with 90 confirmed cases.

As video recordings and photos began making its way on social media Wednesday morning, showing chaotic scenes of people, mainly the elderly and women, gathered pell mell outside several commercial banks and TTpost offices, police swooped down at these institutions in an effort to get people to stand at least six feet apart from each other.

A TTPS release was sent to the media in which Griffith urged banks and supermarkets to encourage their customers to space themselves out to minimise the risk of spreading the virus. Radio news reports pointed to threats to shut down banks if customers were not adhering to social distancing rules.

At an 11 am media briefing on Wednesday, asked about the TTPS release, Prime Minister Dr Rowley said "banks are not to be closed by the Commissioner of Police."

"We went into detail on how the banking sector is to function and the importance of the banking sector as an essential service, and therefore, I don't know that arrangement, of having them closed at the behest of the commissioner, is what we can expect."

RAPID

RESPONSE

Griffith was quick to respond. At his press conference, he said he has the authority to take action where people do not comply with social distancing guidelines while waiting in lines outside certain businesses. He said such a response from the police could involve arresting everyone in the line or closing of the business itself.

"If it is I make a statement that I must shut down a supermarket or a bank, it is because people there are breaking the law. And by the law being broken, it means that I need to take action to stop that. Either I arrest everyone in front of the bank or I go to the owner of the institution and tell them to shut it down until we get it right.

"It cannot go on a day longer. I am not going to sit down and be very diplomatic on this. I have a job to do and a responsibility to my country, and the law gives me authorisation that if I have to close something down because I see it can cause serious injury and can affect lives, it is something I will so do. This is a very serious matter, and many people need to be responsible."

Griffith also insisted he and the Prime Minister worked alongside each other to maintain the safety and security of the public. He said he is bound by the rule of law and the Constitution in his duties, and dismissed any apparent tension between the two offices. He also said the way the question to the Prime Minister was phrased during the PM's media conference could be misinterpreted.

'I HAVE MY JOB TO DO'

"If the Commissioner of Police sees there is a clear and present danger where lives can be lost, the commissioner can make that decision. I work at the pleasure of the State, but I will make my decision based on what is in the Constitution.

"The Prime Minister has his job to do and I have my job to do. I work for the State, but again, if I see something that is taking place that can affect lives in this country, I am not going to have my police officers...that can affect their lives. We are not here to please or impress anyone."

Griffith said the police would only close businesses as a last resort, and the decision to do so would come after discussions with chairman of the National Security Council (Dr Rowley).

Citing the constitutional powers of the commissioner, Christian Chandler, head of the police legal unit, said there were provisions enshrined in law that would allow businesses to be temporarily closed at the behest of the commissioner.

The Police Service Act, Section 45 spells out the duties of a police officer, Chandler said, "and the general duty is to preserve the peace and ensure people don't break the law. The police have an ultimate duty to sometimes protect us from our own selves.

"The Constitution provides the commissioner the power to manage the resources of the police, and number one of that is the human resource. What happens when people go and do what they want? The police, who must now persuade these people, are now putting themselves at risk."

Chandler also quoted Section 133 of the Public Health Ordinance, saying police were authorised to enter premises and carry out anything expedient to save lives, and act in the public's interest.

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"CoP vows to act if covid19 rules flouted: I HAVE THE POWER"

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