Police looking out for covid19 Easter parties

Police will be on alert for covid19 parties during the Easter weekend.

Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith told Newsday on Thursday he mandated his officers to be on the lookout for any suspicious gatherings or reports of secret parties.

Griffith is aware of plans for several covid19 parties carded for the long weekend.

He said the TTPS has also made its anti-covid19 party plans and operations are already in place.

“The intensity we intend to push over the weekend through the roadblock and stop and search, it will be difficult for people to get to where they are going. Even if they do, we will have enough force to move to immediately put an end to it.”

He said he will ensure these parties don’t present a challenge to the police and police will investigate areas with too many parked cars or reports of loud music.

“We would hope people are responsible and I expect the neighbours are their brother’s keeper and protect people from themselves. I hope their neighbours will sell them out and report them to the police.

“People are not supposed to be on the street after 8 pm, if persons are hoping to get where they aren’t supposed to be, we can stop them and question them and ask them to justify where they are going. So it will make it difficult for persons to converge in on specific place.”

The commissioner is prepared to use all avenues available to persecute groups caught hosting private parties.

“It will give us authorisation and there are laws that we can enforce to prevent it and take necessary action.

This action also applies to home-owners. Griffith said, “It is persons private properties but there are laws we can take that if there are gathering in certain places. There are several different avenues I could use to put an end to it and have persons brought in for questioning if they intend to go that route.”

Speaking at a virtual media press conference earlier, he said covid19 parties are unsafe and can risk the lives of many. “This is a ticking time bomb. We ask you to be responsible. The TTPS has a twofold objective here where we are here to use persuasion based on policies but we also intend to enforce laws.

“Police are expected to be extra vigilant and ready for action. This also means increased police patrols, a higher police presence in communities and rapid response.”

He said, “The situation where people believe that they are getting frustrated and they can start inviting people over, has proven to be a disaster where people died in some countries. Do not take it for granted by inviting close friends over, that you would be safe.”

Anyone with information on covid19 parties or suspicious gatherings can call 482 Gary, 555 or by sending videos and photos through the TTPS app.

“We intend to take a very stringent approach to eliminate these persons from having these types of events,” Griffith said.

During the conference, Griffith also announced TT’s alert state has been raised from yellow to orange. This means there will be an increase in police patrol, rapid response, and visibility in communities.

He said TTPS will be using the strength of all its 8,648 members for on-the-field patrols including reserved police, those in HR, community policing, Finance unit, communications, legal, Interpol, CID, police band, victim and witness support unit and administration department, to name a few.

He said police will continue to assist the Ministry of Health in monitoring people ordered to stay in quarantine by the chief medical officer.

Griffith said three bar owners from Central have been arrested for opening their business and since then more people have been adhering to the Public Health Ordinance regulations.

“The more persons we arrest can also be an avenue towards virus spreading because more persons being arrested means more persons stay in the (police station) prison and they have to interact with the police officers. But it is not to say we don’t intend to do it.”