Tomorrow is the tenth, and Saturday is Carnival Day. Between now and then, there will be a lot of public drinking and, on such occasions, it is
allowed. But, you can't drink out of an aluminium can or a glass bottle – it has to be a cup or plastic bottle – and this year police say they will be
strictly enforcing that rule. Officer commanding Southside Chester Williams explained:…
Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Div. Southside
"When we read the legislation it says when you drink in public it must either be in one of 3 containers. Either is a plastic cup, a paper cup or a
Styrofoam. If you do that is public, you will be within the confines of the law."
"Now we are aware that on these days of parade, people will normally gather on the street corner with their icebox containing liquor and they drink. So
we are simply telling people, you know what if to do that you could not be wrong but if you do it in a certain way you are wrong and you can be
prosecuted for public drinking. So we're simply asking the citizens to comply with us on these days. To ensure that if they will be consuming alcohol
that it is done within the confined of the law; meaning that they use either a plastic cup, a paper cup or a Styrofoam cup. If that is done then there
will be no problem. And one of the rationales behind the law is because; we know that when people are out celebrating they get drunk. Then we have
these bottles or glass or so forth. They can easily be used as a source of weapon and we want to be able to take as much weapons off the street. Things
people can use to harm others. So we're simply asking the citizens to assist us in assuring your own security."
Williams says those alcohol bottles or cans also cannot be slipped into paper bags.
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