Time to contract foreign police

The Editor: The arrest of a police corporal in Siparia who is allegedly connected to various levels of crime throughout TT is disturbing. We have been hearing about crooked cops in the police service for the longest while.

All hard working and concerned officers should take this as a cue and be willing to report crooked cops to senior officers, until the police service is cleaned up. They owe nothing less to their country and their profession! Part of the answer to solving the crime problem in TT is by instituting and emphasising what is called community-driven policing by contracting trained police officers from other countries and infusing them with the local police. This will instill purpose, efficacy and the overwhelming need to eradicate crime in TT which continues to increase despite the new broadside. The top brass in the police service should be looking for energetic and efficient police officers who have served their police divisions or precincts well in their respective countries and would be willing to be part of a well organised and efficient team to help combat crime in TT.

If Colm Imbert can take the bold steps to import medical doctors from Cuba then why can’t we do the same thing with the police service? The government has to develop a committee to assess contract policing in TT similar to what has been done in parts of Canada, the United States of America, Australia and other countries. Consequently, the government can seek to negotiate with other governments for the provision of police services not only on a contract basis, but to set up fresh autonomous police services in various divisions which local police are running at present. The tax- base within which these new autonomous divisions will lie (industry, business and tax-paying citizens) together with subventions from the government will pay for state-of-the-art equipment, vehicles, station-upkeep and proper salaries. And this should be run as an efficient business without political interference.

This is a necessary move because we are not benefitting from new ideas or new approaches in fighting crime locally. The police service continues to generate the same old malaise over and over and the country is not seeing any reduction in the crime level. Morale, discipline and conduct are low throughout the police service and “new blood” from the outside is what is needed — not new local recruits who are going to  fall in the same negative corrupt cycle that the police service has become! The PNM which seems to be devoid of new ideas, is fooling themselves and the citizens of TT with this developed country status by the year 2020 nonsense! Only Manning it seems, believes this. If they really want to fight crime, do as other countries have done in the past and are still doing presently- import police!

DR CHRIS MAHADEO
Port-of-Spain