From left, Station Sergeant Jefferson Clarke , Assistant Superintendent of Police David Johnson and Station Sergeant Jefferson Clarke looking through the 5 000 plus pirated DVDs.

by Tracy Moore

POLICE are making it hot for vendors selling pirated DVD movies and CDs in The City as part of Operation Safe City.

"We have noticed an upsurge in illegal vendors in The City and steps have been put in place to deal with the situation," said Assistant Superintendent of Police David Johnson, who is in charge of operations in the Bridgetown Division.

He was speaking at a Press conference yesterday morning at the Public Relations Office at Central Police Station, Coleridge Street, The City.

Johnson said Operation Safe City, which was launched two months ago by the Bridgetown Division of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF), was geared to make Bridgetown safe for its shoppers and visitors to the country.

In fact, since Operation Safe City went into effect, about 12 people, several of whom were non-nationals, had been charged "for exposing marketable commodities without permits . . . . where eight of those persons were in The City exposing pirated CDs and DVDs for sale".

He explained, while sitting in front of more than 5 000 pirated DVDs, that many vendors had strategies in place including hiding the CDs/DVDs while showing the empty jacket covers for sale. Others have "Don't Sell" written on the discs as a ploy to divert the police.

"But when a man turns up in town with 1 800 DVDs this is a serious matter. This is the extent that persons have been going to try this illegal activity.

"This amounts to stealing the intellectual rights of persons and we will not stand idly by and do nothing.

"Whenever we come across this type of activity you can be assured that we in the Bridgetown Division and the force will deal forcibly with this type of activity," he said.

Police were also able to confiscate a multiple CD/DVD burner which has been used in the mass production of illegal movies and music.

Johnson also warned vendors who were setting up stores inside malls and were engaged in selling pirated DVDs/CDS that they "would also be dealt with".

In addition, Johnson revealed that as part of the operation, police recently conducted a raid on a popular bar in The City and collected six pairs of scissors and a two-sided dagger which were dropped by patrons of the establishment.

Johnson said that Operation Safe City would move directly into the Operation Yuletide in time for the Christmas season where the same strategies as last year would be put in place to ensure that The City was safe. This will include a crackdown on illegal parking, selling without permits or licences, and other forms of lawlessness.