‘What kind of policing is this?’ - Businesswoman decries charges after testy exchanges with cop
Published:Tuesday | February 16, 2021 | 12:26 AMCecelia Livingston-Campbell/Gleaner Writer
A Clarendon businesswoman is today crying foul at the treatment meted out to her by an officer from the Operations Unit at the May Pen Police station on January 31.
Charmaine Nikolove told The Gleaner that her business documents – spirit licence and registration certificate – were seized, with the cop threatening to shut down her business without giving a reason.
WATCH: Clarendon businesswoman cries foul police treatment
Nikolove said it all began when one of her staff informed her that someone was downstairs to see her.
On recognising that person, who had stayed at her Arms of Charms guest house before, she went to speak with him.
She said he was enquiring about the prospect of blending a Thursday evening event he had in mind with hers. Following the discussion, he walked off, and it was then that a police vehicle drove up, and the officers began questioning him.
Upon seeing them searching him, Nikolove said she was curious to find out what was going on and stepped outside.
“The police officer said to me, ‘Who owns this premises?’ I said, ‘Myself’, and he said, ‘Do you know this man?’ I said, ‘Yes, it is someone I have seen before’. He then said to me now, ‘We have to see your identity’,” she related, adding that she headed back inside her business place to comply with the request.
She said the officer walked into the bar and saw a bag, which she tried to explain belonged to a female guest. The cop assumed that it was owned by the man and dragged it with such force that a television set almost toppled off the wall.
“He used an expletive, and I used one as well, saying, ‘What kind of policing is this? I don’t understand what you are doing. You are not allowed to search a woman’s bag outside of her presence’, and he said, ‘Shut yuh mouth! Open this up! Give me yuh licence! This ya place ya a get lock down’,” Nikolove shared.
Having lived in England for 18 years and returning in 2017, Nikolove called her brother and her sister who lived next door as she was “up to speed” with the law.
Having examined the documents, Nikolove said she thought the cop would have returned them. Instead, he walked towards his vehicle.
When her sister and her niece – with her young son in hand – intervened to try and retrieve the documents, the officer resisted, breaking the frame that the papers were in.
Nikolove said that she, along with her brother-in-law, niece, and brother, were taken to the police station on charges of obstruction of justice and using obscene language.
“Now at this stage, I really feel like I must pack up and leave [Jamaica]. I can’t have a conversation with the police. ... I’ve lived in the UK for many years and never had a police try to slap me in the face, disrespect me, calling me gal,” she asked.
The Gleaner was unable to reach operations officer for the Clarendon Police Division Chris Phillips, and commander SSP Glenford Miller said he had no knowledge of the incident.