TTPS arrests 10 persons for sea bath in Cocorite; suspects face six months imprisonment

EPL Properties Ltd

“Ten persons were arrested this afternoon for breaching the Public Health Ordinance Regulations when they were found bathing in the waters off Bayside Towers in Cocorite.

“[…] They were immediately arrested and taken to the Four Roads Police Station where they are being processed.”

The following press statement was issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS):

Photo: A snapshot of sea bathers in Cocorite on 13 May 2020.
(via TTPS)

Ten persons were arrested this afternoon for breaching the Public Health Ordinance Regulations when they were found bathing in the waters off Bayside Towers in Cocorite. Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, said he received information from the public and directed officers to the area.

Ten persons were caught bathing in the sea. They were immediately arrested and taken to the Four Roads Police Station where they are being processed.

They are being charged in accordance with Section 3 (1) (d) of the Public Health (2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) (No 14) Regulations 2020 which states that during the specified period, a person shall not, without reasonable justification, ‘be found at or in any beach, river, stream, pond, spring, or similar body of water, unless the presence of that person is essential for the carrying out or provision of a service specified’.

The penalty for such an offence is a TT$50,000 fine and six months in prison.

The arrest of this group followed a similar incident on 19 April when 27 persons were detained by police, headed by Commissioner Griffith bathing in the waters off Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain. The CoP spoke to the persons, warned them, and later released everyone without charge.

Commissioner Griffith says that when the Sea Lots incident took place, there were persons who were crying at the way the police handled that incident, and that the children were put to lie on the ground. He pointed out these so-called experts did not like how the matter was handled. He made it quite clear that the role of the Police is to save lives at a time when the invisible Covid-19 virus is still threatening the citizens of this country.

The CoP thanked members of the public for sending him the information of the persons bathing in the water off Bayside Towers.

More from Wired868
Dear Editor: Police work is a “wicked problem”; Dr Rowley should change tack to address crime

“[…] Dr Keith Rowley, police work is what is known as a “wicked problem”. Rittel & Webber (1973) identified the Read more

Vaneisa: Foggy days of fatigue and other post-Covid symptoms

I’ve come to believe that what I had thought to be a vicious bout of both acid reflux and one Read more

Dear Editor: If feters are doing as they please, why are we mandated to wear masks?

“[…] Over the last week we have held the Jam Naked Fete and the Stink & Dutty Fete, which seemed Read more

Blaxx passes away; soca star fails to recover from Covid-19

Trinidad and Tobago soca star Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart died today after failing to recover from Covid-19. The 59-year-old singer, who Read more

T&T’s Covid-19 changes: Team sports, public transport limits, quarantine periods and more

“[…] Public gatherings of persons in groups of no more than 25 is now to be permissible. The recommencement of Read more

Early Bird: Covid, Blaxx, our glee and why we walk on mornings

At 5.15am on this day the Lord has made, Marie Howe’s name tops my inbox. She’s a poet, a completely Read more

About Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor
Want to share your thoughts with Wired868? Email us at editor@wired868.com. Please keep your letter between 300 to 600 words and be sure to read it over first for typos and punctuation. We don't publish anonymously unless there is a good reason, such as an obvious threat of harassment or job loss.

Check Also

Noble: Gazing in the mirror—will T&T move forward in faith, or face danse macabre?

All nations tell stories about themselves. These narratives tell us where we came from, who …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.