EDITORIAl: Keep safe
As Christmas Day approaches, people are encouraged to stay alert and ensure their safety, while enjoying the festivities as much as possible.
With regard to personal and physical safety, as is customary, the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) has stepped up its policing in the City and other high frequency shopping areas during the Christmas period to address this issue. Police have been strategically deployed across the country, outside Sheraton Mall for instance, to increase vigilance and ward off potential criminals. However members of the public, the business community and owners of residential properties must also play their role in reducing opportunities for victimisation.
We urge members of the public therefore, to heed these words. It is true that in addition to efforts from the RBPF, every individual in this country has a part to play in keeping themselves safe. Ways of doing this include for example, leaving expensive possessions at home when attending public events or private engagements with more than a few persons; by safeguarding homes with burglar alarms, securing doors/windows and leaving property well lit; by not posting alerts on social media apps about your whereabouts or planned activities; avoid travelling alone, especially late at night; being cautious at the Automatic Banking Machines (ABM) and when using cash in public; not leaving purchases in plain view in vehicles or walking with unsecured bags; and finally, by paying attention to money transactions to avoid being cheated or falling prey to counterfeiters.
However, personal safety is about much more than being aware of your immediate environment and physical presence. In this age of technology where life is lived on social media as much as in reality, people must also be wary of others who try to scam them out of their hard-earned money by soliciting funds through emails and text messages, using any number of tear-jerking techniques and scenarios. At Christmas time there is often a sentiment of compassion and a drive to be charitable, and too often this emotion is exploited for personal gain.
Other personal actions that can keep you safe during the festival include being on your best behaviour and avoiding conflict, especially where individuals may be influenced by alcohol. At Christmas time, Christmas parties are the norm and so too are the spirits i.e. alcoholic beverages. While one may be inclined to indulge amidst the festivities, avoid drinking to excess. Too much alcohol can lead to several devastating consequences like dehydration, alcohol poisoning, and impaired judgement, the latter of which can be a factor in violent flare-ups, risky sexual behaviour, and driving under the influence (DUI). The resulting situations would be the furthest thing from a Merry Christmas that one would imagine.
On a more obvious note though, the biggest safety concern for people worldwide at the moment is the COVID-19 pandemic. And while there is no evidence of community spread of the virus in Barbados at present, the suggested social distancing protocols and safety measures outlined by the state should be adhered to, in order to reduce the risk of the virus becoming a major health issue in this country.
All things considered, we take the opportunity to reiterate that every person be vigilant and stay safe this Christmas, as we head toward the end of 2020.