Bring only necessities says police chief

Head of security operations for Vincy Mas 2008 Eckron Lockhart is appealing for Carnival patron to only bring the bare necessities with them when they venture out to carnival activities in capital Kingstown or rural events. Lockhart speaking at a press conference held by the Carnival Development Corporation on May 28^th, indicated that valuables like jewelry, passports etc, should be secured at home. He urged revelers to secure wallets and purses, and warned that pickpockets will be out in their numbers trying to make a living off innocent victims.

The Assistant Superintendent of Police indicated that the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is fine tuning its preparations for Carnival, which he said is the second biggest challenge to the Force after general elections. The veteran police officer had high praises for the ‘no bottle policy’, which he said reduced the number of reported bottle injury by a great margin. According to Lockhart, there were no reports in 2007 and 12 in 2006. He called on vendors to secure their empty bottles after pouring drinks in containers for patrons.

A warning from Lockhart to persons who intend to spoil Vincy Mas for the law abiding citizens: the police will be out in their numbers! They will be mingling in the crowds in plain clothes, as well as conducting stop and search in various areas. He also asked patrons to be patient with the officers, and in the event that anyone feels that he/she was treated unfairly, they should not retaliate but take the necessary actions by reporting the matter to the police complaints and public relations.