by Tim Slinger

and Donna Sealy

POLICE HAVE PUT the brakes on the staging of fetes at Carlisle car park in the City – at least for the time being.

That's the word from Assistant Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith, who also spoke of the venue posing a security and environmental problem.

Organisers of two big annual pre-Crop-Over fetes, Wet Fete originally scheduled for that location this Sunday and the staging of Ten to Ten, a FAS Entertainment production slated for August 4, have already acquired alternative venues after being given the thumbs-down by police.

Griffith told the DAILY NATION that besides the decision to refuse permission, the force was concerned about the security of the venue, which is located in the centre of Bridgetown.

He also expressed concern about the untidy state in which the car park was left after previous fetes, noting the clean-up presented an "extraordinary burden" on Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) clean-up personnel.

He also spoke about their inability to police the event since a number of officers were still exhausted from duties at the 2007 Cricket World Cup (CWC).

"Even if the venue was available, it would be difficult for us to police given the resources that we have and we have to bear in mind that Crop-Over is already upon us," Griffith said.

"We have already taken a decision not to stop leave because
of the fall-out from Cricket World Cup and as a result our resources are down."

Two of the organisers affected by the decision received letters from the police stating that permission had not been granted for their events.

No reason was given however.

Andy John, co-organiser of the Caribbean Wet Fete scheduled for Sunday, said an alternative location was found but declined to divulge it while FAS Entertainment said they would be using a car park in Lower Bay Street.