ComPol Says Cops Will Not Work at Some Establishments

Chester Williams

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says that a number of patrons in bars and nightclub establishments weren’t wearing masks this weekend. He notes that social distancing was also not being observed in some of the businesses.  These actions, coupled with a few other concerns, have pushed the Commissioner to prohibit police officers from providing security services at some businesses. Williams says that irresponsible decisions by patrons are putting not just the public but also his officers’ health at risk.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I have given a directive this morning that police officers will not be working at certain establishments, these are nightclubs. One of the reasons for that is because some of them are not sound proof; some do not have an exit-entry separate; some are too small and the number of people going there to party put the public and even the police at risk. If it is that police is not working there and they have no security then they are going to be in violation of the law. It is within this spirit that we are going to ensure that some of these places that do not follow the law, that we do not keep them open. Over the weekend, the police visited Sit and Sip and a number of persons were found in there and those persons were detained and the place was closed down   Sit and Sip was eight – and eight, I would want to think, was too many for one establishment to have eight persons who weren’t wearing masks. And according to the officers, there were some wearing the mask this way – and those persons weren’t brought. I told the officers you should have brought them too because that too was inappropriate. So, if they were to bring all those persons who had on none and those wearing appropriately, the number would have been far greater.   Police also visited a number of other night-clubs across the country doing the same, to ensure that there is compliance with the regulations that are in place.”

ComPol Williams also shared that off-duty cops will also be prohibited from providing security services at establishments where patrons are not adhering to the law.