Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
Gold Commander for Carnival 2025, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Crime, Richard Smith, yesterday added his voice to officials saying this year’s celebrations had been one of the safest ever.
During a media briefing at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain, he said, “Eight out of the ten divisions in T&T have reported no serious incidents for Carnival 2025.”
Commending section heads and senior officers of all law enforcement agencies for assisting in helping to make it safe – he produced boxes filled with knives, icepicks, shanks, scissors, combs, and glass bottles, including liquor and perfumes, that had been confiscated from people entering the capital city.
Also included among the contraband was a camouflage water pack and a vest; along with an assortment of marijuana in bottles and packets. He said officers had been hard at work from as early as 1 am on Monday, carrying out searches of people and vehicles entering Port-of-Spain.
Making no apologies for the wrecking that was done on the two days, in which a total of 280 vehicles were towed in Port-of-Spain, Smith explained that even though messages were communicated via social media and advertisements, “some persons decided to park along the routes as well as in restricted areas, so these vehicles were wrecked because we had to ensure we had clearance for bands to pass through.”
Meanwhile, a total of four trucks were pulled off the road for non-compliance between Carnival Sunday and Tuesday.
He said although all applicants were granted permits and given a list of the restrictions, some owners/operators of music trucks had exceeded the height requirements, which led to one truck pulling down overhead lines on Sunday at South Quay.
Regarding officers’ attendance, Smith said officers had been rostered to work throughout the season, which included fetes, parties, and the four days of revelry – whilst also enforcing the State of Emergency.
Asked to respond to claims that only 41 of the 83 rostered shift of police officers for the Woodbrook area had reported for work during the two days – and that a snail had been found in one of the meals provided to officers – the executive appeared surprised at first.
Smith later said they were in the midst of compiling the attendance record of all officers including seniors, “so that was still ongoing.”
Asked if they had been forced to pull officers from different divisions and sections to assist in areas where shortages were reported, including Port-of-Spain, he said, “Yes, we did that this year.”
He said the capital required the largest manpower and as such, they were always having to augment this supply with officers from outside the jurisdiction.