EDITORIAL:Be safe, have fun for the festival

With just a few more days remaining until Grand Kadooment, Barbadians are bursting with excitement as they get ready to experience Crop Over’s climax in all its colour and splendour. Part of the anticipation revolves around this weekend’s events – the crowning of a Calypso King for 2017 at the Pic-o-de-Crop Finals, the Foreday Morning jam, Bridgetown Market starting on Saturday and a host of other privately promoted events, just to name a few. In light of this the Barbados Advocate considers it the opportune time to reiterate a few words of warning to all persons, to ensure that their festive season remains a happy one as they attend the various shows being staged.

In recent weeks, safety and security have been brought forcefully into the limelight with a number of violent crimes occurring in the glare of the public eye. Furthermore, a reported warning to police officers via social media against intervening has elevated the level of fear amongst Barbadians. In reaction to this, both law enforcement officers and the Attorney General have assured citizens that the situation is under control. However, they have also appealed to people to be vigilant. Patrons at Crop Over events therefore are asked to avoid travelling alone, especially late at night, and to leave expensive possessions at home when partying. One should also be cautious at the Automatic Banking Machine (ABM) and when using cash in public.

Individuals are also warned to be “on their best behaviour and try to avoid conflict and resort to early policing intervention where there are situations that may degenerate into conflict.

One factor that can greatly aggravate a situation is the effect of alcohol and drugs on a person. In addition to being a health risk whereby people can become dehydrated or suffer other life-threatening physical reactions, alcohol and drugs can leave people vulnerable which, for females especially, can result in one being defenseless against sexual assaults and may contribute to the spread of the sexually transmitted infections or the HIV virus.

These precautions outlined above are not aimed at marring the festivities. They are just some of the potential risks that must be considered amidst all the fun and excitement.

Thankfully, there have been no reported incidences of crime or violence in these Crop Over festivities so far. Major events like Pan Pun the Sand, Soca on the Hill, Phenomenal Friday and now Soca Royale have all come off without a hitch and for this we would like to thank the Royal Barbados Police Force for its protection, festival promoters for employing effective security services, and the people of Barbados for being responsible enough to put conflict behind and focus on the positive vibes at each event.

This proves that individuals can still come out and enjoy themselves for the remaining Crop Over events. Yes, there needs to be vigilance and precautions taken, but there is no need to hide away from life and fun.

And for those who would seek to mar the festivities, we implore you to desist from such actions and instead allow the majority of Barbadians and tourists alike, to have positive experiences.