Send Gibbs home!

Sgt Ramesar said that his Association has advised all its members to work diligently during the limited State of Emergency because of the paradigm shift but maintained that the time has come for someone new with fresh ideas to be at the helm of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in the interest of not only police officers but for the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. “I am saying to all police officers that while the Government has to do better than the five percent, the State of Emergency really changes the paradigm in terms of what is the mandate and duties of police officers, notwithstanding the Commissioner of Police must explain to his membership and by extension the public why we have reached to this point.

It is my view that this particular juncture indicates beyond the shadow of a doubt that this Comm-

issioner of Police has failed us and with his one-year period fast approaching in September the Government should take a decision and send him home.”

Gibbs is currently in Brazil attending a conference and is due back in office today.

Deputy Police Commissioner Stephen Williams has been acting for Gibbs while Gibbs’ fellow Canadian Jack Ewartski is also out of the country having left for Canada on a private visit.

A clause in the contract of Commissioner Gibbs states that he can be terminated for non-performance.

Gibbs has to also face the scrutiny of the Police Service Commission (PSC) which will decide if his contract after one year should be extended based on his achievements and performance.

Sgt Ramesar also noted yesterday that this period during which all police officers will be required to carry out some special duties should be noted by Government.

Said Ramesar, “This should be considered a period of determining the value of the police officer in Trinidad and Tobago and one that will go a long way to establishing the value and the responsibility that the Government should use as a yardstick to deal with compensation of police officers in a special category and to recommend that they have to do better than five-percent.

The Association is asking for answers because we would like the Government and by extension the Commissioner of Police to really outline the criteria for determining what areas are being considered as hot spots. The Association is minded to say that we have advocated the position that many of our police First Division Officers are managing divisions and units outside the areas of Port-of-Spain and Northern Division which are equally challenging where crime is similarly prevalent and that compensation for the risk and challenges incurred should be extended to those First Division Officers, that same has been rejected to date by the Chief Personnel Officer.

Yesterday Police Officers from all divisions attended briefings where they were informed of their additional roles under this limited State of Emergency.

Police Officers especially those in Port-of-Spain CID carried out random searches on persons as part of the new thrust in reclaiming Trinidad and Tobago from the hands of criminal elements.