With helicopters circling the port and outer areas of Roseau, the HMBS Leonard C Banfield docked shortly before 10 a.m. yesterday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in Antigua and Barbuda, Atlee Rodney, who is charge of the 45-member crew enlisted for this phase of the mission, said while he was not certain what to expect when they reached ashore, he was ready for whatever task faced them.
“From intial reports received, there are concerns with security and distribution of relief supplies. There are also concerns with communication. We have various groups going to Dominica which include security personnel, police officers from Grenada and Barbados. We also have members of the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU), who will be providing assistance in relief supply management.
“For us, we have what I will call initial concerns for now. When we arrive on the ground, I will be speaking to the local authorities to find out the full extent of the situation, and where exactly I am going to deploy the personnel. We heard they had some issues with looting and so forth. Once I touch base with the local authorities, I will know the full extent of that problem and how best we can deal with it,” he explained as the Banfield eased into Woodbridge Bay. (RA)
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