Retro look for 60th Independence Day parade

SPECTATORS at this year’s Independence Day Parade will be treated to a retro look of police officers wearing shorts and knee-high socks, gold commander of the parade, acting DCP Wendell Williams, said on Thursday.

“There will be a special mixed unit doing a special drill. They will be using retro uniforms as a mark of the significance of 60 years." He explained that they would be bringing out some of the uniforms used by national security divisions in the past.

“The police will be using short pants – some of you may be too young to have seen that. The police in that special unit will be wearing short pants with long soft boots and the puttee. Puttees is something you used to wrap around the boots in old times to keep dust from going down inside the boots.

"Other units will have their own novel retro outfits that they will be wearing on that day.”

He said the police, although they have had little time to prepare, were excited to be displaying their marching and formation skills after a two-year hiatus.

Williams, who spoke at the police weekly media briefing, said safety and security were vital, and encouraged those attending the parade to tell the police if they see anything strange along the route from the Queen’s Park Savannah to the Police Academy in St James. Williams said some 800 officers will be involved in securing the parade and parade route.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness will attend the parade at the Savannah, Williams said, as well as the toast to the nation at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) and the police service cocktail event.

As an added security measure there will be no vending outside NAPA.

Would-be audience members who want to sit in the Grand Stand must apply to the Ministry of National Security for access by August 29. Drones are forbidden in the capital, but exceptions can be made to those who apply to the police for permission.

There will be parking in the Savannah at two points: at the entrances near the WASA pump station along Queen’s Park West just after the US Embassy, and opposite the St Ann’s roundabout.

Parking restrictions will be in effect along certain streets, Williams said. Those parked in restricted areas will be wrecked.

No parking from 5 am-1 pm

Queen’s Park West, between Queen’s Park East and Cipriani Boulevard

Chancery Lane, between Gordon Street and Queen’s Park West

Dere Street

Albion Street

Gordon Street

Frederick Street, between Queen’s Park West and Park Street

Park Street, between Frederick Street and St Vincent Street

Western Main Road, between its junction with Tragarete Road and its junction with Long Circular Road

Western Main Road and Tragarete Road.

Streets blocked from 8 am-12 pm

Queen Park West, between Queen’s Park East and Chancery Lane

Keate Street, between Charlotte Street and Abercromby Street

Frederick Street, between Queen’s Park West and Park Street

Pembroke Street, between Keate Street and Gordon Street

Streets blocked from
6 am-12 noon

Park Street, between Henry and Edward Streets

Tragarete Road and Western Main Road, between Damian Street and Lucknow Street

Street blocked from 6 pm on August 30-1 am September 1

Fraser Street between Phillip Street and Richmond Street

Street blocked from
6 am August 31-1 am on September 1

Phillip Street, between Tragarete Road and Kew Place.