Police are cracking down on persons who are breaching the emergency directives put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including those not abiding by the national curfew and some businesses that are still operating although they have not been deemed essential services.
Ranks of Police Division 4(A), which stretches from Agricola to Cummings-Lodge yesterday took to the streets of central Georgetown to issue warnings to businesses that are not essential but were still operating as per normal.
In a video seen by this newspaper, the police drove through Regent Street and were heard directing “all non-essential businesses [to] close immediately to avoid prosecution.”
The “emergency measures” in place were effected under an order in the name of Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence pursuant to an earlier direction by President David Granger, given under the Public Health Ordinance. The measures, which were first implemented on March 16, are in effect until June 3, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice from the Ministry of Public Health. They include a countrywide lockdown with a 6 pm to 6 am curfew and a restriction on services except for those deemed essential.
It has been almost three months since Guyana recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus disease and although the authorities have implemented a partial lockdown and the curfew, many continue to act in defiance of the restrictions even as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Up to yesterday, the Health Ministry reported 150 positive cases and 11 deaths.
In recent weeks, the situation in Georgetown appeared to have gotten out of control. On a daily basis, persons have been seen traversing the roadways where there has been bumper to bumper traffic and even crowding at stores, including some not deemed essential. While some were taking precautions by wearing their masks and adhering to physical distancing, others weren’t, hence exposing those around them to potential danger.
In a telephone interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Commander of Division 4(A) Senior Superintendent Phillip Azore explained that the police went to Regent, Robb and Sheriff streets yesterday morning and effected the closure of all the non-essential businesses.
“…The order was issued that all non-essential should remain close and only essentials could remain open. However, some stores, mainly non-essential, selling clothes, shoes, hair and other items… they [are] opening,” Azore said.
He noted that follow-up visits would be done and anyone who failed to abide by the warnings will face charges.
The exercise, Azore also said, was not the first of its kind. He explained that non-essential businesses in these areas were warned before but still continued to open their doors.
“They were warned before. There is a particular store that the woman, we warned her. She opened, we charged her. She went to court, she come back, she open again. We charge her again. There are some people, very defiant, but the police, we will be on their case until they comply with these orders,” Azore related.
For the week so far, he said, more than sixty persons who were found in breach of the curfew were charged and placed before the court.
Earlier in the week, he added, 50 persons were arrested after the police swooped down at a bar in Houston, East Bank Demerara after 6pm and found them drinking. “…and when you asked them, [they say] they were taking a chance. Well definitely you can’t pardon those,” Azore said.
One of the main concerns faced in the division is the operations of the Bourda and Stabroek markets. “While you closing down the businesses on Regent Street, Camp Street, Robb Street and the other areas, the markets remain open and people congregate in large number at those market areas,” Azore said.
He noted that in this regard there isn’t much the police can do since the vendors were granted permission to operate from 6am to 4pm by Mayor of Georgetown Pandit Ubraj Narine.
Azore further explained that the police yesterday morning collaborated with the city constabulary and a team of ranks have since been designated to ensure that businesses within Georgetown are operating in keeping with the order.
‘Move beyond warning’
Stabroek News yesterday also spoke with several of the commanders of the other policing divisions across the country and some noted that every effort is being made to ensure that persons are in compliance with the emergency measures as outlined in the order.
They noted that there are regular patrols throughout the days and nights, road blocks and the constant issuance of warnings. The commanders explained that citizens who are found in breach of the curfew are being warned and failure to abide by the warnings result in prosecution.
All of the divisions reported a more than 90% compliance, with the remainder being those persons who have been charged and placed before the court.
However, Regional Commander of Region 4C (Industry-West of Mahaica Bridge) Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor told Stabroek News that ranks have moved beyond the stage of warning persons.
“We been warning people, giving people chances to correct themselves but now we are putting people before the court,” he said.
For the week so far, he said, more than thirty persons were charged and placed before the court. The figure, he said, is an increase compared to last week when over twenty persons were charged.
The groups that are mostly targeted, Andries-Junor said, are persons who are found gathered in groups for various purposes, such as drinking and operators of public transportation who transport more than the number of persons they are allowed to under the order.
“People drinking rum, people sit down in a group, everybody drinking rum, no mask, everybody liming—those are the people that are going to be charged,” he said.
Andries-Junor explained that there has also been zero-tolerance for non-essential businesses who are still operating.
As a matter of fact, he said what has been noticed is that businesses have moved to include sanitisation products on their list of offering in order to justify keeping their doors open. “Self-compliance… in a general way is about 96%. It used to be about 97% but people are getting restless,” he noted.
As it relates to Region 4 (B), Police Commander Senior Superintendent Kurleigh Simon said in excess of 15 persons were charged over the past two weeks.
Two weeks ago, Simon noted, a group of nine persons were caught drinking outside of an East Bank Demerara supermarket.
He said they were all detained and charged since the previous week the police had spoken to some persons at the same location. They all pleaded guilty and the matters are currently still before the court.
“The biggest problem we are having is the traversing. We are linked to three different divisions, that is Regions 3, 4 and 10 and most persons work in Georgetown,” Simon said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean, who commands Region 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) said that his ranks are still doing a lot of warnings.
McBean said persons have been generally abiding by the emergency measures in place.
For this week, he said three persons were charged for breaching the curfew. “They were on the road after the hour without a proper explanation as to what they are doing. They were not essential employees and they were not heading home,” McBean noted.
He said initially businesses were operating beyond the 6pm hour and they were warned. To date, there are been no instance whereby the police had the cause of warn non-essential businesses for a second time, he added.
“Our practice is that we would bring them to the station and pass them through our police record and give them a formal warning. Before the first warning, we give them a formal warning then we pass them through the formal warning and placed them on bail. Any breaches thereafter we charge them and place them before the court,” McBean explained.
Community service
Over in Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice) Police Commander Superintendent Yonette Stephens confirmed that eleven persons were charged for breaching the curfew.
Of the total, she said, three of them pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one month community service or an alternative of one week imprisonment.
The eight other defaulters who were charged failed to appear in court and arrest warrants were issued for them to appear on June 3rd and 10th.
Stephens said her division has overall found cooperation as it relates to abiding by the curfew but there has been a need for daily reminders. “Every day you got to keep reminding them that they shouldn’t do this, they shouldn’t do that but we are getting there. Those that are bent on breaking the curfew, they are placed before the court,” she said.
Meanwhile in Region 6 (East Berbice- Corentyne) the Police Commander, Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus said that one week after the emergency measures were announced, ranks warned persons.
Thereafter, he noted, persons expected to be aware of the measures and what they entail and as a result those who were found in violation were placed before the court.
To date, Brutus said, there has been a total of 157 cases, including breaching different aspects of the curfew or by opening bars, rum shops or any other businesses which are deemed non-essential.
He said a number of minibus operators and hire car drivers were also charged after they were found operating without practicing physical distancing.
“Looking out for the police”
Since the measures were put in place, Commander of Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Superintendent Crystal Robinson said that no one was charged for breaching the curfew in the region.
She said there were instances were first time defaulters were warned. “I think by now people adapt to the measures and they are cooperating because first people were rebelling and now that persons understand and they know that it is very dangerous now, so at least people trying to protect themselves,” Robinson explained.
She noted that persons have been “looking out for the police”.
“Persons looking out now for the police. If it have a funeral and they have more than 10 or 15 persons, they would call us to go there and talk to the people, get rid of them,” she said.
According to Robinson, Regional Health Office has a task force and everyone has been working together, resulting in 98% compliance.
Flexibility
In the nights, the police commanders explained, there is some level of flexibility where in most instances persons are trying to get home.
Azore explained that in Region 4A, a team of police officers with protective gear would perform patrol duties to ensure that persons are off the streets and within the confines of their yard or homes. The same procedure, he said, is adopted to ensure that all hangout spots, such as bars, are closed and persons are not gathered in numbers.
For those found in breach of the curfew, Azore said, the consequences are being determined based on the situation and explanation provided since there are instances where persons are stranded on the road after work due to difficulty in getting public transportation.
“What we do is do our best to get you off the road, get you off the streets but if you are a continued or constant defaulter… then we deal with them,” Azore explained.
Meanwhile, McBean explained that roadblock is in place at the Demerara Harbour Bridge every night and 98% of persons who pass through the checkpoint are those who are trying to get home. “What we find is that a lot of persons, especially in the evening, are coming from Georgetown heading home so all we do in that case is urge them to get home as quickly as possible. We warn a lot of people to get in because the aim is to get people in their home as early as possible,” McBean said.
Similar postures have been adopted in divisions 4C and 4B.
