Officers of the Port of Spain Division are again calling on partiers to have a designated driver or make use of private shuttle services when attending fetes, after six people—including a member of the T&T national men’s football team—were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, early on Wednesday morning.
Police said officers of the Port of Spain Division set up roadblocks between 7:30 am and 11 am after the Stink & Dutty Fete at the Queen’s Park Savannah, where they performed breathalyser tests on several patrons who were exiting the venue in their cars.
The five men and one woman were arrested at different instances during the police exercise, with one man’s blood-alcohol level being recorded at 83 milligrams per 100 millilitres of breath.
The legal limit of alcohol is 35 milligrams per 100 millilitres of breath.
Police said the footballer was charged and granted station bail.
The five people were arrested and are expected to be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police said 80 cars were searched leaving the venue. Some 16 fixed penalty notices were issued electronically.
One officer said while there were no reported accidents after the incident, he encouraged more people to avoid the risks of driving under the influence.
“A lot of people will say they can drive just as well while under the influence as when they are sober, but we’re calling on people not to take that chance,” the officer told Guardian Media.
“You’re not just driving for yourself but for others on the road, so please don’t be selfish and take a chance with safety on the roads. Hire a driver to pick you up if you know you’ll be drinking. There are a lot of ride-sharing apps you can use,” he advised.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there have been 55 road fatalities for the year thus far, compared to 50 for the same period in 2023.