CoP: Police did not discriminate against doubles vendors

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith says there was no discrimination by police towards doubles vendors and sought to clarify the police’s stance on roadside vending in response to accusations of bias.

According to a police media release on Tuesday, Griffith said officers were given directives to inform all relevant food suppliers that both mobile and roadside vending was to stop.

He stressed that no police officer was given instructions to ban doubles specifically, as other vendors were told to stop as well.

The instructions to halt roadside vending came after Griffith attended a meeting with National Security Minister Stuart Young, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram.

The decisions to halt roadside vending he added was in line with the World Health Organisation’s recommended standards.

Griffith also responded to a newspaper editorial, in which he denied there was any misinterpretation on the part of the police when enforcing the requirements.

He asserted that even vendors selling from inside a building could fall under the category of roadside vendors if customers lined up outside the building along the road to collect the food.

He also said all vendors must follow the laws regarding the Municipal Corporations Act and the Summary Offences Act.

“One cannot just find a building that has a window overlooking a pavement, and daily bring in portable equipment and cooked meals into the said building, and then sell it through a window to customers who are lined up on the road, with no rest room and other facilities mandated for the sale of food, and believe that this is not itinerant or road side vending.

“If there was a doubles restaurant or food distributor who had such requirements and was selling doubles, then the Police would not have intervened, hence showing that doubles was not the factor in the Police operation, but the prevention of all itinerant, roadside or mobile vending.”

Griffith noted the difficulty of enforcing the law during this time as some might try to challenge the regulations.

He said, in light of Monday’s order to close all restaurants, there would be more clarity on the police stance on vending and sought to assure the public that there was no discrimination towards vendors of any kind.