A popular restaurateur is complaining of police intimidation at her Port-of-Spain establishment.
Jenny Dan-Sharma took to Facebook to highlight an incident when police came to Jenny’s On the Boulevard at Cipriani Boulevard in Port-of-Spain on Friday night.
She said around 10.15 pm about 12 police officers in three vans walked into her business.
Dan-Sharma said only three cars were in the car park with one table in the terrace and another in the dining room. She said a couple was leaving while her staff were finishing off their duties.
She noted that all entrances were closed at 10pm.
Dan-Sharma said she opened the gates for the officer and she was getting a lecture from a sergeant that customers must leave the compound by 10.30 pm.
She said, “I then showed her my phone, it was exactly10.29pm.
Dan-Sharma added, “Another woman police officer went straight into the fine dining towards the last customer table (all doctors) and asked them to leave.”
She said this was not the first time such an incident happened.
Dan-Sharma added that not too long ago, just before 9.15 pm, five officers with large guns walked into her fine dining area and asked the customers what they were drinking.
She said, “They (the customers) told them (police) fruit punch/ non-alcoholic wine etc. They then said, ‘like Jenny training she customers what to say boi.’”
Dan Sharma said, “It was intimidating, disrespectful and embarrassing to say the least. This is one of Trinidad most popular, affluent fine dining restaurant with so many people employed, yet this is what we have to endure.”
She said this was harassment and while officers were showed people gathered on the roadside near to her establishment, the officers did not bother with them.
Dan-Sharma said, “Officers are treated at my establishment with utmost respect. I was very disappointed. “In many countries business people are respected as role models in the community. Why can we at least duplicate that.”
Covid-19 regulations state that all food places and bars must be closed by 10pm and alcoholic drinks must not be served to diners.
