Tobago
Kinnesha George
6 Hrs Ago
Masqueraders from Jade Monkey Mas enjoy themselves at the Tobago Parade of the Bands in Scarborough, October 27, 2024. – File photo by Ayanna Kinsale
TOBAGO police are anticipating an influx of persons to the island for the main days of the Tobago carnival, this weekend.
At a press conference on October 23 at the Scarborough Police Station Conference Room, Senior Superintendent of Police – Tobago Division Earl Elie made the disclosure while stating that safety remained a priority.
“This is the fourth edition of the Tobago Carnival and we expect it to be the largest so far based on the reports coming in. We have an extremely large amount of persons coming to the island from Trinidad.”
Elie said approximately 23,000 people were expected to arrive via Caribbean Airlines, with an undisclosed number coming on the ferry. He said the events had already begun, but to date, had been incident free.
“We anticipate that this carnival will also be incident free.”
Elie said the Tobago Division would be ably supported by officers from Trinidad.
“We have in excess of 50 officers coming from Trinidad to lend a hand in Tobago. We also have a very large contingent from the Defence Force to give us the assistance that we need. We anticipate a safe and secure carnival.”
While Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Tobago Oswain Subero said the TT Police Service in collaboration with the Tobago House of Assembly and other affiliated agencies remained fully committed to ensuring that this year’s celebrations were conducted in an atmosphere of safety, order and enjoyment for all participants and visitors alike.
“In keeping with this commitment, the Tobago Division has developed and implemented a comprehensive operational and security plan designed to cover all aspects of carnival activities from pre-carnival events, fetes and calypso competitions to main-day parades.”
The plan, Subero said was formulated in collaboration with other partnering agencies including the TT Defence Force, the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), the THA Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment, the THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transport, the TT Fire Services, the Emergency Health Services and other agencies.
His officers, he said, will be strategically deployed across the island with increased visibility in entertainment zones and key routes and points. Special attention, he said would be given to traffic management, crowd control and intelligence-led policing, “ensuring swift response to any emerging issues…
“We will also maintain a strict enforcement to ensure public order and safety with zero tolerance for criminal activities, reckless behaviour or breaches of the law.
“However, our approach is not only about enforcement, it is also about engagement. We continue to work closely with event organisers, community leaders, the public – to promote responsible respect and co-operation during festivities. In addition, the emergency response unit and the traffic department have been working in unison yo enhance mobility, provide rapid response to incidents and ensure minimal disruptions to free flow vehicular traffic and pedestrian movement.”
