Letter of the Day | Cricket parking police boorish

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Cricket at Sabina Park for young men who live adjacent to the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity on North Street is always a time to earn a little food.

We have always allowed patrons of matches to park on the grounds of the residence (George Headley Drive) where your vehicle is safe, for a small fee, which is shared among the youth.

During cricket on Tuesday night of August 14, 2018, cars were accommodated, well organised by the youth. No police, NO PROBLEM.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018, three policemen, at around 4:30 p.m., one identified #12294 came to literally lock down parking on our private property, telling us in no uncertain terms that we were committing a criminal offence by charging persons to park and that they would be manning our gates to prevent any parking.

Of course, they were told that we would also be manning our gates to allow parking, especially for the regulars, some of whom were already parked.

Contact was made immediately with attorney the Rev Ronald Thwaites by phone, with whom the officers refused to have a speaker-phone conversation. The commissioner of INDECOM was also consulted to ascertain if we were going against the law in allowing parking on our private property. He was not aware of any such law, though he confessed to not knowing everything.

Sir, I find the behaviour of these three policemen rather aggressive and rude, acting as if they were the law and that the buck stopped with them.

Thank God, the young men gathered did not react in any way to cause any disruption, though they were somewhat put off by the behaviour of the policemen.

The young men were more serving, caring and protecting.

KINGSLEY W. ASPHALL (JP)

Rector/Administrator

Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity

North Street, Kingston