Truant officers must be penalised

THE EDITOR: I agree with the State’s position in settling the lawsuit that was filed against them by 18-year-old plaintiff, Devon Sookdeo. It is obvious that the police officers involved in this case did physically and emotionally abuse this young man, with the tactics they employed during his arrest, on what seems to be trumped up charges for the possession of marijuana. I feel that the state owes this young man for the actions of their representatives (police officers). What I am concerned about is: what is the State to do with these officers?

In most first-world countries (that TT is aspiring to be,) law abiding enforcement officers involved in similar conduct would be suspended, retrained, or even fired. But no where in any of this did I hear of what became of these three officers. Did the CoP fire them, or are they still of the police force left to terrorise other citizens.

Please enlighten me as to what has happened to these officers who have brought great shame on the image of the police service. I would hope that these three officers are not typical of the “make an arrest at any cost” mentality of the police service. If they are, then there must be many more like them on the force. There needs to be a “purging of the ranks” of officers like these, if the TT police service is to ever gain the trust and confidence of the people of the country, which they sorely need in eradicating the crime menace now plaguing the land.

KELVIN C JAMES SR
Port-of-Spain