Police: Visible Presence For May 24th
On the heels of the Government announcing they would have CCTV along the May 24th parade route and at Bernards Park, the Bermuda Police announced today [May 20] they would be taking great effort to ensure public safety over the Bermuda Day Holiday, saying they don’t want bloodshed and shootings as Bermuda has experienced on other events.
At a press conference today Police Superintendent Martin Weekes spoke on the measures the Police force will take. He said the police will be highly visible throughout the entire holiday weekend – both on land and on the water.
The Marine Police, bolstered by the reserves, will be out in force on the waters, using all service boats available.
The post-parade celebration, which is normally held at Bernard Park, has been moved this year to Hamilton. The decision to move the celebrations was made by a committee, and Superintendent Weekes could not confirm whether the move was made due to security concerns, or for other reasons.
The Corporation of Hamilton stated yesterday that food and entertainment vendors will be located in Hamilton during the Bermuda Day festivities. Fun castles, snacks and dining options can be found at Number One and Number Five car parks and at Victoria Park.
The Superintendent referenced the concerns showed by the public over the Ag Show in March, and said although he personally is not aware of specific concerns relating to public safety at the May 24th events he is aware that some members of the general public may feel concerned. He said the level of security will be similar to that the police had at the Ag Show, however they will not have metal detectors on entry.
The Police have partnered with ‘GET Security’, and will have cameras, which will be very small and not highly visible, placed strategically around. They said they will have adequate police resources to work diligently to ensure public safety. Many officers will initially be stationed along the route working on traffic points for the May 24th Marathon Derby, and once they have finished those duties, they will be deployed closer to Hamilton. The Police will have armed officers out islandwide, which as pointed out, is normal for the Bermuda Police.
The Superintendent also said there will be some traffic disruptions due to the race and parade, and asked for public co-operation, saying its only once a year, and of course, for a very good cause. He also asked the public to be especially careful on the roads, being careful to take all steps to avoid collisions.
-
Superintendent Martin Weekes of left with David Minors
-
Also speaking at the press conference was David Minors of the Bermuda Road Safety Council. Echoing the call of the Police to ask for public co-operation to ensure the Bermuda Day Holiday is enjoyable for all, he reminded the public of road safety matters; speed, helmets, child restraints, drunk driving. He went on to note that there have been an increase of traffic accidents involving pedestrians, and said that “everyone should be more aware of the driving task at hand”.
The full statement from Superintendent Martin Weekes, Officer in Charge of Community Policing, follows below:
The Bermuda Police Service takes this opportunity to advise the public on a number of matters to ensure a peaceful and safe time during this year’s Bermuda Day holiday period; the actual Bermuda Day holiday will be celebrated on Monday, May 24th.
Over the holiday weekend, one of our main concerns will be the volume of traffic that will be on our roads. Between the Marathon Derby and other road races in the morning, the Parade in the afternoon, the Dinghy Races and a busy nighttime economy in the City of Hamilton, thousands of vehicles will be traveling on our roads during that period. We are asking the public to exercise care, caution and courtesy while driving, especially when considering the high volume of collisions that seem to traditionally occur on holiday weekends.
Additionally, we encourage members of the public not to drive if they have consumed any quantity of alcohol; even if they think they are below the legal limit. This approach by the public will go a long way to reduce collisions and keep our roads safe for everyone. We would ask the public to think about this Bermuda Day weekend and do their best not to spoil it for everyone by drinking and driving and being involved in road traffic collisions.
The public is reminded that on Monday several roads will be closed and they should plan alternate travel routes accordingly. The routes for the Races and the Parade are similar to previous years and the police will as usual be manning junctions along with marshals to control traffic. These officers are there for a reason and that reason is to minimise the risk to the runners and cyclists taking part in the races, the participants in the parade and the viewing public. I ask the public to follow the officers’ directions and to avoid driving onto the routes from private driveways and side roads during the events.
Essentially, the southern part of the City of Hamilton will be closed from 8:00 am until after the Parade, about 4:00 pm. This includes Front Street between Par-La-Ville and King Streets, as well as Church and Victoria Streets. No parking areas will be clearly marked, and specific road closure times are contained in the official gazette notices.
Middle Road will be closed to west-bound traffic at the South Road junction (Barnes Corner) promptly at 8:30 am so there is no disruption to the start of the races. Participants are reminded of the need to arrive early, or at least clear this junction before 8:30 am to avoid any disappointment.
Harbour Road will be closed to all traffic between 8:45 am and 11:30 am.
The Police Service will be on visible patrol over the weekend and will be deployed in a highly visible, proactive patrol pattern. We are intent on deterring those members of the public that might seek to disrupt the holiday with acts of violence and criminality. Units assisted by their colleagues from the Bermuda Reserve Police, will be paying particular attention to incidents of public disorder, weapons possession and public drug misuse. Certainly, those persons who are not deterred by the presence of the police and commit these offences can expect to be promptly arrested and delivered to the Courts.
Loud music complaints are a traditional feature of this Holiday and we accept that the celebration of Bermuda Day brings with it a party atmosphere. We ask two things: patience and tolerance on the part of the complainants, along with a display of respect and courtesy on the part of the subjects. We encourage members of the communities that they live in to work together to keep the peace in the neighbourhood and avoid the involvement of the police.
Bermuda Day traditionally marks the start of the boating season in Bermuda and we expect, weather permitting, that our waterways will be very busy. A full compliment of officers from our Marine Unit, supplemented by the Bermuda Reserve Police, will be on hand to deal with marine incidents. We would like the boating public to ensure that their vessels are registered; that a current 2010 decal is prominently displayed on the starboard side of the vessel; that they ensure that all required safety equipment is on board; that they are carrying enough fuel for the intended journey and that they file a float plan if they intend to go offshore.
Additionally, speed is an issue not only in maritime collisions but in the general nuisance factor that is experienced by boaters at anchor near the shoreline. The boating public is reminded of the need to exercise care and caution around other vessels and to be on the lookout for swimmers. To this end, the 5 knot – no wake areas will be strictly enforced in order to calm the marine traffic. We also encourage that persons do not mix any use of alcohol with power-boat operating or sailing.
Our final message this year is to encourage everyone to exercise patience, tolerance, caution and good old fashioned common-sense to help us to do our job.
We appeal to the public, and in particular to those persons in the community who are involved in violent crime or have friends and family involved in these crimes, to think about the Bermuda Day holiday and what it means to their community and to not spoil these events for the whole community as has happened recently.On behalf of the Commissioner of Police, I wish the entire community a pleasant, enjoyable and safe Bermuda Day.
