The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Craig Stubbs said on Friday that there will be more than 800 law enforcement officers at the upcoming Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade as well as road closures, strict screening and security measures for persons entering the parade route.

At a press conference at the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Headquarters on East Street, ASP Stubbs told reporters that there will be more than 800 officers of both the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and the RBPF throughout the designated areas for the upcoming Junkanoo parade.

“It is the overall intentions of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and our partner the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to provide spectators, visitors participants, organisers and support personnel with a safe and secure environment and to minimise disruption,” ASP Stubbs said.

“Additionally, we will also provide better security for the VIPs; the Governor General, the Prime Minister, and other members of the Cabinet, who will be attending the parade,” he said.

ASP Stubbs added: “We will also assist with the maintaining of law and order for the entire parade route. We will prevent public disorder and street crimes. We will protect properties. Persons parking in the various parking lots on the outside of the parade route, we will provide our security personnel there to prevent any break-ins to vehicles or other business establishments.

“It is generally our intentions to ensure that the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Defence Force officers, who will be policing this parade act and behave in accordance with the commissioner's policy and guidelines for the entire parade, both Boxing Day and the New Year's Day parade.”

ASP Stubbs said any unauthorised persons who do not comply with the security measure that will be in place, will not be allowed to enter the parade route areas.

“Throughout the parade routes, we’re going to have measures in place, where persons entering will be screened, prior to having access to the parade route. So there are going to be strict security measures in place and they will be adhered to by all personnel. Any refusal to avoid the security measures in place, you will not be allowed to enter the parade route,” ASP Stubbs said.

“We want to send a strong message that there are vendors on Bay Street, along the parade route, those are ‘no-bottle zones’. We will ensure that all groups and individual competitors are able to rush along the parade route without hindrance and spectators are able to watch the parade without obstruction.

“We will assist the parade and bleachers' marshals in preventing unauthorised persons from entering the parade route and bleachers."

ASP Stubbs also spoke about the road closures in the areas of Bay and Shirley Streets as a result of the upcoming parade.

“One of the critical aspects of both parades will be the management of traffic around the parade routes. So, as of the private parade routes, at 10pm (Friday), members of the police traffic division will be initiating traffic measures in terms of road closures, and traffic diversions,” ASP Stubbs said.

“We know that there will be no vehicular traffic along the parade route, that is the Shirley Street, Elizabeth Avenue, along the Frederick Street corners and no vehicular traffic,” he said.

“There will be traffic diversions, commencing from the Nassau Street and Bay Street area all the way to the Shirley Street, Collins Avenue (area). And from the East Street corridor traffic initiatives will be put in place to manage the traffic and flow of participants and spectators to the parade route,” ASP Stubbs said.

He asked for any groups needing assistance bringing costumes to Bay Street to contact the police.

"You know members of the groups will need assistance in bringing their customers to Bay Street actually to reach out to the officer in charge of the police traffic division, David Lockhart at 242-477-2008. They're mandated to assist with transporting those costumes or targeted groups to the parade, without hindrance," ASP Stubbs said.

On Wednesday, Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg confirmed that the upcoming Junkanoo parade was completely sold out.

Furthermore, on Tuesday Hotel and Tourism Association president Robert Sands said The Bahamas is set to see an “historic” level of visitor arrivals next year while bookings for most hotels in New Providence this holiday season and throughout the new year remain strong.

With the sites of the upcoming parades set to see an unprecedented number of persons, police also urged Bahamians attending the parades to be vigilant and careful.