Police Says No ‘CHAMPS’ Marches, Parties or Fetes

The Police have decided to deny permission for school marches, during the week of Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (CHAMPS).
In addition, the Police will not be granting permission for the staging of any pre or post CHAMPS fetes or parties during the same period.
These and other announcements were made Thursday morning(March 18) by Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Operations Portfolio, Glenmore Hinds, during a meeting at the Police Officers’ Club with principals and other representatives of various high schools in the Corporate Area and St. Catherine, according to a release from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
“Having done our risk assessment, we have decided to take these measures in order to ensure that we are best able to properly secure this major sporting event. It is not something that we want to do, but we have noticed that, as CHAMPS date gets closer, there has been an increase in the incidents of violence involving high school students,” he stated. Mr. Hinds urged supporters of the schools participating in CHAMPS to go to the event and cheer on their schools with vigour, but without the attendant violence which has occasioned CHAMPS, especially over the last five years.
He said that the police will be looking out for individuals going to, or entering the National Stadium with offensive weapons.
“Persons, whether adults or students, who are found with offensive weapons will be prosecuted. So, we are asking those persons attending CHAMPS to do so without carrying any offensive weapons,” Mr. Hinds said.
The Acting Deputy Commissioner emphasized, during the meeting, that the police will significantly increase levels of deployment from the first day of CHAMPS to the end of the event. These deployments include motorized and foot patrols. Attention will be given to specific areas where the presence of the police will be marked and visible. These areas include: Cross Roads, leading to Tom Redcam Drive to include South Camp Road; Arthur Wint Drive to the National Stadium; Stanton Terrace, leading to Liguanea; Mountain View Avenue and Half Way Tree, with an emphasis on the Transport Centre.
Divisional Commanders in the various Geographic Divisions, and other police personnel, will be visiting schools in the country to talk to students and teachers, with the aim of sensitizing these persons on the importance of staging an incident free CHAMPS.