Police face challenges in enforcing curfew in Berbice
Although the residents in New Amsterdam, Region Six, are required to be off the roads by 19:00h, this has not been happening, thus creating a challenge for Police ranks who are mandated to enforce the order.
Regional Commander, Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus explained that the Force has been following the guidelines set out by the Health Ministry as it relates to the curfews.
He noted that the Force is having difficulty dealing with persons who disregard the order.
New Amsterdam under curfew
“We are still trying to educate persons and to keep them from engaging in large gatherings as directed by our Administration. We have not been issuing permits for social events such as weddings and Barbeques right across the region. We know of incidents where persons have been engaged in those kinds of activities but as soon as we hear of it, if it is early enough, we go and prevent them from having the activity or if they are already in session, we would shut them down,” Brutus explained.
Brutus said that there are incidents in the town on a daily basis, forcing them to take action.
The ‘Back Track’ ports of entry on the Corentyne
“We have to go around the area to enforce it. Persons are closing their businesses and accepting certain customers within, such as bars and restaurants and they are engaged in selling and drinking alcohol with quite a number of persons inside but we are enforcing that now and checking on them physically to ensure that that is not happening and we are having more compliance now.”
“We have also been taking calls from members of the public who suspect that there are persons and the community whether it be family or otherwise to be infected with the virus.”
That information, he said, is being filtered to the Public Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Guyana-Suriname border closure remains in effect but the Commander stated that the police have been monitoring those areas to ensure they adhere to the orders.
But this has not stopped the smuggling business. In addition to goods being smuggled through the borders, five Chinese nationals arrived at Number 62 Village and were assisted by a local fisherman.
“As you know, both borders are closed… but persons are still looking for all the areas to ply their trade. We have had instances where they have look up the Number 63 Beach: made an arrest, currently before the DPP on advice. They are using the entire stretch of the coastland all the way down to Number 43 Village, so wherever we deployed, they’re looking for other areas to ply their trade.”
As such, the Regional Commander guaranteed that the police will continue to patrol the area.
