By Neto Baptiste
Stadium manager at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Keithroy Black, said the body will be reaching out to the police in hopes of getting more frequent patrols of the areas surrounding the facility as they hope to curb what he has called increased dumping of garbage and or littering by individuals utilising the area on a daily basis.
“We have a very good relationship with the police in Parham, [and] the police force in general because they utilise the stadium very often for their meetings. So we will be speaking with the police and I can tell you without even saying anything [to them] that we will have their support. I know that when the request is made for them to do frequent patrols around the stadium to make sure that those persons who would park up under trees and do whatsoever they are doing, and those who walk, that they would not litter,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Black made a public appeal to persons who utilise the roads surrounding the facility on a daily basis to stop leaving their refuse behind. The situation, according to the manager, has gotten worse over the past two weeks as workers recently removed over 30 bags of garbage from the area.
“We thought that maybe it would have been just a few bags but, surprisingly, we picked up some 30 bags of plastic bottles, papers and all sorts of things that I can’t mention. But it was a good campaign for us because we enjoyed doing what we did but at the end of the day it wasn’t good overall because it tells us that there is just a lack of pride by those who would have gone and done that,” he said.
As for their plans to install cameras with the hope of identifying and catching perpetrators, Black said he will be putting the management’s case to the powers that be.
“We know there is a challenge at the moment with the government as far as finance is concerned but we will be having a conversation with the minister, the Hon Daryll Matthew, along with the Permanent Secretary, Sarah Stuart, because we think that the time has come now where we have to put cameras that can put up what is happening on the outside and around the stadium,” the facility manager said.
“It’s rather disgusting that persons would want to go and litter around the stadium, a place where you can go and walk, have some fun and we have plans for the outside there as well,” he added.
Until then, Black said the area will be closely monitored and those caught in the act will be reported to the police.