‘No COVID-19 spread’ among RBPF force

Some 35 police officers are expected to be cleared to return to duty after they all tested negative for COVID-19. Their tests were carried out following the positive test of a colleague.

Attorney General Dale Marshall disclosed this afternoon that the officers who all work at the Hastings/Worthing, Christ Church station came in contact with their positive fellow law enforcer some five days ago.

“In a situation where these officers have tested negative, there are a few other people who were tested and we are waiting now on those results. But as I understand it from speaking to the specialists, so long as the officers all of them who would have been tested last night and this morning…as long as they are all negative, given that the last contact with the positive individual would have been over five days ago, then those officers should be clear to come to work,” Marshall told Barbados TODAY.

The Attorney General is also assuring the country that there is no significant spread of the virus at this time in the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) and that the officer who tested positive was placed in isolation immediately after the status was known.

“We have contingency plans in place, but I am very happy to be able to report that the impact of this particular issue seems to be very small and very localised.So there doesn’t appear to be any major impact on the force at this time,” the Attorney General reported.

Marshall said part of the contingency plans is for off duty officers to report for work.

Today, the RBPF issued a notice calling on all police officers on vacation leave to immediately report to their respective stations, “formations or units”.

The Attorney General made it clear that the COVID-19 situation would not limit the RBPF from carrying out its obligations to the nation.

“The Royal Barbados Police Force steps up to the plate every time. There is no shirking on their part. As an administration we make sure that they have adequate PPEs…We made sure that there would be no shortage at this particular time,” he stated.

He also had a message for Barbadian residents in light of this latest development within the force.

“Our police are no less vulnerable to anybody else. They live among us, they work among us, they have families, they have friends…they have the same challenges that we have. As a society, we have to come together and support each other throughout this. We recognize that one act of carelessness in terms of following protocol can affect anybody,” Marshall declared.

Acknowledging that the police force is a vital “cog in the wheel of maintaining law and order”, Marshall said authorities had to intervene immediately to safeguard the interests of the men and women of the

He said the 35 police officers had been quarantined at a hotel and the police station was closed for seven hours today for “deep” cleaning.

The AG said the facility was now ready again to be used, but up to late this afternoon when Barbados TODAY checked, a station sergeant who answered the telephone said the station was still not back in operation and he did not know when it would be.

Today the public was also advised to avoid visiting police stations unless in emergency cases or as a last resort. Instead, they were told to direct calls for service to police emergency number 211 or 430-7100.

When contacted for comment, president of the Police Association of Barbados Mervin Grace told Barbados TODAY up to late this afternoon he was not in a position to speak on the issue of the welfare of the members because he had not been officially informed by the administration.
(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)