BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE J’Ouvert celebrations held this morning (Dec. 26) were peaceful for the most part and thanks to quick response by members of the security forces, potential outbreak of violence did not materialise.
Thousands flooded the streets of Basseterre gyrating and bouncing to the rhythm of their favourite bands and or Hi-Fi systems which made their way up Fort Street, and while some went west along Cayon Street then into Church Street, other went east along Cayon Street and turned into West Independence Square Street. From Church Street, the former went east along the Bay Road while the latter turned in the opposite direction before repeating those routes.
Dispersed among the revellers were members of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force, whose presence, for the most part, served as a deterrent to those who may have had intentions of engaging in delinquent or criminal behaviour.
Notwithstanding, a number of squabbles had begun but were quickly disposed of by the alert security officers.
SKNVibes was present when a female, who was obviously infuriated and was engaged in an argument with another individual, was removed from the scene by the officers.
In another incident, a young man, while enjoying the hype of the jam, made contact with another male, who responded by simply brushing him aside. The actions were repeated and they lead to an argument which resulted in a fight.
However, again, the security officers quickly responded and quelled the situation.
Senior ranking-officers including Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Crime Ian Queeley and Inspector Lionel Moore were also making their rounds to ensure law and order were maintained.
Chairperson of the Security and Public Safety Committee for the Carnival, Ivor Blake, explained to this publication that, as has been the case for the past several years, marshals were an integral part of ensuring that the activity was incident-free.
“By and large, I think it was a success. We employed the carnival marshals as usual and they were pretty effective for the most part. We had about 30 of them. Their main purpose is to keep people away from the wheels of the trailers and to ensure that it is safe as the bands move around. Since we deployed the marshals a few years ago, we haven’t had any major mishaps or accidents. They are doing a fantastic job!
“The security forces were out in their numbers…the Defence Force and different units from the Police Force, and we had individuals on the ground in plain clothes as well. I think we really put a stop to some things which could have escalated. There were a few scuffles here and there but there were no major mishaps or incidents that have been reported so far.
“We had a few minor incidents and we thought it best to put some persons on the bench to chill until further investigations are made or released following the festivity. There were several occasions where we had to take glass bottles from individuals. But I think everybody enjoyed themselves immensely, which is one of the hallmarks of a good J’Ouvert.”
Blake thanked revellers for their generally-good behaviour and encouraged persons to support the other activities of the Sugar Mas’ 40/40 celebrations with continued good behaviour.
