by TIM SLINGER

THE PERSONAL SAFETY of revellers tomorrow, Grand Kadooment Day, has shifted to the top of the agenda for a number of leading bands in Barbados.

Veteran bandleader Betty West said despite the spiralling costs, security had become a major priority in her band of more than 600 members.

"As far as I am concerned, my revellers are my responsibility. Security is one of the most costly things but it is something that you have to do. It's very important for your band to be secured," she told the SUNDAY SUN.

But while the Royal Barbados Police Force again this year boosted its capacity to police the country by deploying soldiers of the Barbados Defence Force to work alongside lawmen, management of the island's biggest band, Baje International, with over 2 000 members, noted that security of their patrons had become just as important as any other major demand of the festival.

"Over the last five years we have spent a lot of time fine-tuning our security," bandleader Richard Haynes said.

He pointed out that his band had over 70 per cent female participation and stressed that the safety of band members was a critical part of their operation.

"We do have excellent security officers and we have a presence on the road of at least 50 security people."

Power X Four band, with over 1 500 members, will this year have over 200 security officers on the road.

"We take a lot of security on the road because you have to take into account that our band is mostly female," he said.

"We are fairly well prepared. We have a convoy of about 20 vehicles on the road, including an ambulance and about six doctors. We always try to improve ourselves; and we prepare for it."