(Trinidad Guardian) “Stay home or I will make your life very uncomfortable.”
This was the warning issued by Police Commissioner Gary Griffith on Saturday, as he urged citizens to adhere to the regulations set out in the Public Ordinance Act under the Stay-at-Home order currently in effect across T&T.
While admitting there is no curfew in place limiting one’s movements, Griffith urged people to listen to the authorities regarding non-essential travel to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Saying he has a few options which he is not afraid to use to compel people to remain at home, Griffith assured that any action they embark upon will be within legal parameters.
However, he signalled to the population, “If you are not an employee of an essential business and you are not going to utilise an essential good or service, stay home to avoid all complications.”
Asked if the police could charge people for breaching these regulations, Griffith said there were several laws under which he could act.
He reminded, “There were people who felt the police did not have the authority to do anything to break up COVID-19 parties by persons doing whatever they wanted on their private property, and I had to explain that the powers that people did not think I have, I do have it and I would use it.”
He said it was a similar situation when he advised the TTPS had the authority to shut down supermarkets and banks if people did not adhere to the social distancing protocols.
“There are certain laws that I will just have to dust off as they are on the shelf, but there are laws I can and will use if it is required to ensure my responsibility as the Commissioner of Police to maintain law and order and ensure persons adhere to the policies as dictated by the Government pertaining to COVID-19,” he said.
Under Section 133 of the Public Health Ordinance, Griffith can order the closure of a particular business if people outside them fail to adhere to the protocols outlined.
Referring to the traffic congestion on the nation’s roads between Wednesday and Friday last week, Griffith said this was evidence of a relaxing of personal restrictions by citizens.
On Friday, officers conducted several road exercises and stopped 5,525 vehicles which were occupied by some 9,825 people. Scores of those people were turned back after excuses such as going to sell a dog or going to meet a significant other.
Griffith said from 2 pm on Friday there was a 90 per cent reduction in traffic in comparison to the same period of the previous week, which means that persons can adhere to the measure. He said between Tuesday to Thursday last week, however, “it was almost like things were back to normal where everybody was back out on the streets.”
“I would put systems in place and that can make things very difficult for persons,” he reiterated.
“There would be continuous roadblocks. You would not know when it is going to happen, so to avoid you being inconvenienced and probably having to turn back, being thoroughly questioned and interrogated by the police as they have the authority to do…to avoid all of that happening, stay home.”
He made it clear he was not referring to people who had exceptional circumstances.
“The vast majority of cars on the road is because of persons dropping the ball, becoming complacent and not adhering to their responsibility, so I will give them the responsibility by force, by enforcing what is within my authority as the Commissioner of Police,” he said, noting Friday’s action was to reinforce the call for persons to stay at home.
Moving forward, he added, “You will be asked to justify being out and I would have avenues that could make it very uncomfortable for individuals, don’t do it. Everything I am doing is within the law.”