(Trinidad Express) Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs yesterday stated that the entire country is under curfew restrictions during the specified period of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
This contradicts statements made by National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.
On Tuesday at a news briefing at the National Security Ministry on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, Sandy and Ramlogan said that citizens living in communities in which there are no curfew restrictions are free to go about their business.
Sandy had stated that persons who live outside the curfew zones were free to congregate on the roadways, and even have parties in their communities, once they conform to the rule of law.
He explained, “If you live in Tunapuna and Tunapuna is not part of the areas under curfew, and you want to leave your home, let’s say to go El Dorado Road, to walk down to the Main Road to have a beer, absolutely nothing is wrong with that because that area is not under curfew.
“For instance, if you’re in a community and you want to have a street party in your community, and it’s outside of the area of the curfew, you can do that. It’s outside in the streets and it’s within that area; but if you venture out and into areas where there is curfew, then you’re breaking the law.”
Ramlogan had stated that persons were free to about their business as usual and “outside of curfew areas, life goes on as usual.”
But yesterday, when Gibbs was told by the Express that police officers have continued to impose curfew restrictions in several communities which are not listed under the Emergency Powers Curfew Order 2011, Gibbs said as far as he was aware, the curfew restrictions apply throughout the country.
Curfew restrictions went into effect in four regional corporations and two cities on Monday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and the order was signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams. Williams was at the time acting as CoP while Gibbs was on official police business in Brazil over the weekend.
Gibbs spoke yesterday with members of the media after a sod turning ceremony for the new Arima Police Station which will cost $35 million.
Told by the Express that the actions of the police could amount to an abuse of power and a breach of person’s constitutional rights, Gibbs didn’t agree .
He said, “State of emergency includes those curfew restrictions. Well again, the curfew extends throughout Trinidad and Tobago under the state of emergency. We are more heavily focused on certain areas. I will ask again that all citizens obey the curfew, all citizens follow the directions of the police officers and the law enforcement officials when they are in their areas”.
Told that the statement from Sandy and Ramlogan contradicts his own, Gibbs maintained his position that the curfew restrictions will be enforced throughout the country.
Regarding allegations of excessive force and an abuse of power being employed by police officers in the Beetham Gardens and Maloney yesterday, Gibbs said such actions will not be tolerated, but also called on citizens to cooperate with law enforcement officials.
He said: “One of the things we have been looking at is that we have been given special powers of arrest, seizure and search because of the state of emergency. One of the things we did talk about yesterday was that this doesn’t provide any type of opportunity for abuse to citizens. That won’t be tolerated.
“But we are asking the cooperation of all the citizens that when we come into their homes, their offices, when we are dealing with them to basically listen to what we ask and cooperate and that way it prevents any type of misinterpretation and allows us to do the job that we need to do without people getting hurt, people getting their property damaged,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs added he was satisfied with the results so far and commended the officers for their hard and diligent work.
“We have had some good gains in terms of the arrest of some people that would have been picked up, are definitely people of some interest for the police and its our intent to start breaking down and displacing the different gangs and the different organised pieces,” Gibbs said.
