Christmas ‘COVID parties’ worry cops

Commanding Officer of the St Andrew North police, Superintendent Aaron Fletcher, said there was rampant non-compliance with the Disaster Risk Management Act over the holiday period in the division.

Fletcher told THE STAR that among the events was a New Year's Eve party on Long Lane, Stony Hill. He said police were tipped off by concerned residents. When the lawmen arrived, they found numerous individuals in attendance.

"The event was indeed shut down, and the person whom we believe to be the promoter and the person providing the music were prosecuted, because there was an excessive amount of persons there," he said. "The members of my team who were in attendance at the time of the lockdown dispersed the other patrons ... this is, most times, the safest thing to do when there are a lot of persons."

Nine events were shut down

He added, "There have been several parties in the region that members of our teams have had to respond to. There was an occasion about two weeks ago, where about nine events were shut down in one night."

As with the party on New Year's Eve, Fletcher said these events usually had too many patrons for the act of prosecution to be instituted.

"The issue we have is that sometimes when we come on to these events and the turnout is such that when we do the risk assessment, it is not in the interest of the police to try to engage prosecution," he told THE STAR. "That's where we just have to get the crowd to disperse, and if and where possible, we warn persons for prosecution."

Meanwhile, Fletcher said he is urging citizens to obey the protocols set out by the government, as they are in everyone's best interest.