Police Joint Operation Centre set and ready to operate |01 April 2020
The Joint Operation Centre (JOC) set up to support the national work to ensure an effective response to major incidents, including emergencies involving the police and other agencies is ready and awaiting instructions to be fully functional.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ted Barbé confirmed that yesterday during a visit by President Danny Faure at the Central Police Station, where the head of state was briefed on the newly set up facility which once operational, will be crucial in the different operations involved in dealing with coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at national level.
Being the core of the police operation in case of an emergency, the primary function of the facility will be to ensure the mobilisation of the appropriate resources as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Compared to the existing communication and command centre, also based at the Central Police Station, the new facility is only required in case of a major event, disaster or emergencies.
DCP Ted Barbé noted that it is a good initiative on the part of President Faure to visit and see the facilities in place.
This, he said, will reassure the head of state that the police force is gearing up adequately to face the pandemic and that it is ready react in case the situation worsens.
During the visit, President Faure was briefed on the various functions of the facility, precisely on how it will coordinate with the various response units placed around Mahé and the inner islands.
Along with the main centre, the police force has also set up three additional command centres, precisely at the Seychelles Police Academy which will serve the southern part of the island, at Glacis which will serve the northern part of the island and a third one on Praslin which will serve the inner islands.
Once a request is made by the department of health through the main command centre, it will be channelled accordingly to the designated region via the regional centres.
DCP Ted Barbé further explained that the moral of the members of the force is very high and that they are ready to react to any situation, despite the fact that as human beings and ordinary citizens, some of them do have familial obligations, including child care and other related issues.
He also reminded members of the public and also retailers to respect the new restrictions on mass gatherings and business operations which he said will be strongly supervised by the police force.
DCP Ted Barbé also noted that on Monday, which was the first day of the new measures, some retailers were seen practicing under-the-counter sales and were reprimanded by the police.
He however noted that from now on, the police will be stricter in their practice, and this he said, will include arrest, which will lead to prosecution.
He also commended members of the public who alerted the police regarding illegal gatherings in various places.
Roland Duval