Business owners have approached the T&T Police Service (TTPS) to have police officers work extra duty at their business places as they anticipate crowds engaging in panic buying.
Ag Superintendent Wayne Mystar said Saturday that the TTPS was processing these applications.
He explained that the business owners will pay the officers for those days that they work for them. These police officers will be deployed on their off days, and so the normal routine of the TTPS will not be affected, he said.
Since the authorities declared that T&T has its first confirmed case of coronavirus on Thursday, supermarkets and other stores across the country have seen an upsurge in panic buying.
"Various supermarkets and stores have come to the police and they have applied for police officers to work extra duty. We are still doing general patrols around these areas but some business owners want police officers to work inside their stores which is legal," Mystar said.
However, he said they have not seen any increase in fights or confrontations in shopping areas and the request from some business owners are simply a measure of precaution.
"We are asking the public not to panic buy, follow the rules and things will work out."