SOURCE: CMC  – Grenada’s Commissioner of Police Edvin Martin has confirmed that a security officer who was arrested for challenging a police officer who was not wearing a face mask inside a business establishment was released without charge, but the lawman is now under investigation.

“I can confirm that this incident did occur. However, on the arrival at the police station, the senior police officer in charge of that police station, having analyzed the circumstances of the specific case, took a statement from the security officer and released him pending further investigations,” Martin said in a news conference on Friday.

The Commissioner disclosed that an internal investigation to review the circumstances in the matter has been initiated. The conclusion of that investigation will determine the next step for the security guard and the police officer.

“However, I want to reiterate and to also take the opportunity to re-enforce the statement I made recently at the police recruitment graduation and this statement is that being a police officer does not give us the right, neither the privilege, to break the said laws that we are tasked with enforcing,” Martin said. “The principle of our own conformity to the laws and regulation of our state is pivotal to us affirming our legitimacy as a police force.”

Grenada is currently under a State of Emergency and Section 4 of the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations, 2021 state: “No person shall, without reasonable excuse, be in a public space without wearing a face mask, face shield or face covering in a manner which covers his or her mouth, nose and chin.”

Subsection 4 of the said regulation further mandates that “the owner or operator of any business, establishment or office which provides goods or services to the public shall ensure that a member of the public is not permitted entry to, or otherwise remains within, any enclosed space within the premises of the business, establishment or office unless, the member of the public is wearing a face mask, face shield or face covering, in a manner which covers his or her mouth, nose and chin”.

Violating the regulation can result in an individual receiving a ticket of EC$350 (US$130) for the first offence, EC$750 (US$278) for the second offence and EC$1,000 for further offences (US$370).

Members of Royal Grenada Police Force are responsible for enforcing the regulations and are not exempted from wearing face masks or coverings when in public.