TJB keen to beef up security at Penns
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), the US-based non-profit organisation that has assisted the Jamaican teams that participate in the Penn Relays for nearly 20 years, is in consultation with security advisors as to how they can beef up security at their main tent for next week’s 119th staging of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.
There have been security concerns since Monday’s bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon that claimed three lives and injured over 150, and Irwine Clare Snr, CEO of TJB, said they were trying as best as they could to ensure that everything was done to ensure the safety of the Jamaicans, and other Caribbean Nationals, who will be travelling to Philadelphia for the 119th staging of the carnival.
“We have made contacts with some security experts and working within the existing and whatever framework of security deployed by Penn,” Clare told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
About 35 high schools and four college teams from Jamaica are scheduled to take part in the event that will run from next Thursday to Saturday.
Up to yesterday the organisers of the Penn Relays had not released any statement as to whether there would be increased security at the carnival that sees over 22,000 competitors from over 60 countries taking part.
Clare told the Observer: “From a Team Bickle perspective, I have reached out to Jamaicans, who are in Law Enforcement here in NYC for their guidance. I have also asked them to peruse our operations and add their opinions on things we should do to address whatever loopholes there might be. Ofcourse working within existing and whatever framework of security deployed by Penn.”
Meanwhile, Clare said things were falling into place nicely to start welcoming the Jamaicans and catering for them starting Monday.
Olympic gold medallist Deon Hemmings-McCatty was in attendance at a church service at the Lenox Road Baptist Church in New York on Sunday, and was honoured by TJB at a function Tuesday night at the Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Additionally, Clare told the Observer that Minister without portfolio with responsibility for sports Natalie Neita-Headley would also be their special guest through the weekend.
The minister’s presence, Clare said, would be “helpful and also demonstrates in general our continued efforts to ensure an environment that is appropriate for our athletes, our ambassadors, whilst helping to allay some of the fears of parents and well-wishers”.
