Police, army to lock down Tobago carnival

POLICE are promising the safest Tobago carnival ever.

The annual festival, currently in its third year, officially gets under way from October 25-27 with parties and events all over the island.

Crime has been on the rise on the island with an unprecedented 25 murders in 2024, triggered by a surge in gun violence.

However, police and army intend to take a zero-tolerance approach to public safety during the festivities. This was the assurance from Snr Supt Earl Elie as he spoke with Newsday on October 22.

“We are totally ready," he said.

"All plans are being refined and refined and refined, and we have a final security product that we believe will be sufficient to ensure a safe carnival. We want this carnival to be the safest out of the three carnivals. We understand the need for this to be as safe as possible.”

Elie said in year two of the event last year, only one incident – an assault occasioning a wound – was recorded. He said the aim this year is to ensure that no incident is recorded.

“It is our intention to have not even one. All security briefings and checks and plans are being put in place already, it’s just for us to do the actual launching off.”

Without giving numbers, he said a contingent of officers from Trinidad will boost the security presence for the carnival.

“I wouldn’t want to give you the number, but we expect a strong contingent from Trinidad; a lot of them are already here from the police and we are also expecting a strong contingent of personnel from the TT Defence Force as well.

"Security for this carnival is of utmost importance to us. We understand the significance of this being a safe and secure carnival, so we are doing everything to ensure that.”

He had a word of advice to those who are still contemplating visiting the island last minute.

“Hey, come to Tobago carnival 2024. It will be a safe place for you to come out and enjoy yourself.”

The carnival activities will kick off on October 23 with Soca Titans at Market Square in Scarborough, followed by TUCO’s calypso finals at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort on October 25, before returning to Market Square for the Monarch of Mas on October 26. This will then make way for Mud is Life before heading into the J’Ouvert which starts at 4am and ending at 10am.

On October 26, it will be Rhythm, Steel and Powder, which is a Pan Trinbago event. The event starts at 5pm and goes until 8.30pm, making way for the night mas from 9pm-2am. Then there will be a conventional mas starting at 10am on Sunday, which will bring an end to the carnival festivities on the Sunday.