But even 100% vaccination couldn't make officers invulnerable to the risks posed by large dissenting crowds. It's why protest permits have been limited throughout the pandemic.
It's a reality that has quelled even the most vibrant and passionate of causes, case in point the protests against the shooting death of Laddie Gillett. Those have gone largely silent recently in recent weeks and this morning we asked the COMPOL about his position on young people speaking out:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I have no issue with nobody who want to dissent. The constitution does provide us that right to dissent. The only thing is that we must dissent in a peaceful manner and in the current times we are living in, we have to understand that there are laws that goes against mass gathering and so if people wants to protest, I beg them to please take consideration of the current covid regulations, because we cannot be out there exercising our right and at the same time putting the wider public at risk, because as you know that the constitution, whilst it do give us certain rights, the minute in enjoying that right, we are beginning to trample on the rights of others, then that right comes to an end. And so, that's the only thing I would like to say. I do believe that in a democratic society such as the one we live in, people have a right to call for justice and as police officers and as prosecutors and as the courts, we have the duty to ensure that justice is served. But justice does not always mean what the wider public believe justice means, because for the wider public, they may believe that justice means taking a person before a court and getting that person convicted. That is not what justice means. Justice means that you take the person through the legal process, a full legal process and whatever the outcome of that process is, justice has been served - whether the person is acquitted or convicted and that is what people needs to understand."
Another Justice for Laddie protest is planned for Officer Martinez's next court date on October 18th.
