‘We have been given basket to carry water’
Hanover municipal police rebuff mayor’s criticisms
Published:Thursday | November 17, 2022 | 12:08 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
MUNICIPAL POLICE personnel attached to the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) have hit back at criticisms by Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels of “doing nothing”, arguing that they “have been given basket to carry water”.
Samuels, who levelled the criticism during the recent HMC monthly meeting, complained about the untenable traffic situation in the capital, which he said is bordering on chaos. He said the problem is particularly acute on Willie Delisser Boulevard and in the municipal car park, which is being made worse by the growing number of illegal vendors who are allowed to peddle their wares on the sidewalk.
The mayor contended that despite the municipal police being vested with certain powers similar to that of regular police, they have been ineffective in managing the traffic and illegal vending in Lucea.
But in a statement circulated on social media, which was seen by The Gleaner, the municipal police dismissed the mayor’s claims, arguing that they “have been given basket to carry water as no measures have been put in place for the officers to carry out their duties effectively”.
Continuing, the statement said: “We had 18 municipal police and now we have six, most persons resigned and the others were not retained due to political reasons.”
They point out that there is a single ‘No Vending’ sign installed in front of the market in the town of Lucea. Also, they said the renovation of the market is incomplete and “inside the facility is a mess” whenever it rains.
In reference to the issue of parking in ‘no parking’ areas, especially on Willie Delliser Boulevard, the municipal police said: “All areas need to be painted so persons know whether they can park or not.”
“They want us to walk with a 10-pound weight clamp around the town with no vehicle (to assist us),” they added, pointing out that there is no pound to store vehicles or seized goods.
They challenged the mayor’s claim that all municipal police personnel were given uniforms and shoes recently, pointing out that only four received new uniforms.
When contacted for a response, acting chief executive officer of the HMC, Romeo Daley, said he could not comment until he has seen the minutes of the monthly meeting.