Police overtaken by air-conditioned comfort

Yet it’s a rarity to see a police uniform on the Eastern Main Road or High Street in San Fernando. Compared to Toronto, Miami or London, a very common sight is that of two policemen strolling casually among any scattering of people.

On a busy Saturday morning, driving from St Joseph to Tunapuna, there was not a police officer in sight, even bypassing the Tunapuna market. Now and then, as if by vaps, a mobile police station appears in Curepe, but instead of showing their presence to the people, the officers sit inside — “come if you need me.” It seems the officers temporarily move their desks from their air-conditioned office to the Curepe corner, leaving motorists whimsically to ignore the “No right turn” traffic signal 30ft away.

Any citizen with reason to visit an air-conditioned police post — as I have — will likely wonder at the number of police uniforms present, compared to their near-total absence in the public domain.

The conclusion which comes to mind is that our police officers have acquired a preference for air-conditioned offices and cars, rather than enjoy the fresh-air and sunny environment of the people they serve.

Thus our police force is more a provider of employment than a provider of service.

We would have benefitted from some First World policing in 2012 when Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and his deputy Jack Ewatski headed our Police Service, but finding it easier to manipulate a local Police Service, the TT population was short-changed by politicians who bought out Gibbs’ and Ewatski’s contracts and sent them back to Canada before their contracts ended, leaving people to complain about an ineffective Police Service and uncontrolled crime. Yet half the population would follow Gibbs and Ewatski back to Canada if given the chance.

The recent horrible deaths of Carla Collins and her sons at the Priority- Mausica crossing has left the nation in shock. In my view, this accident, like many others, was the result of ingrained police negligence.

But will this horrible accident cause the police and those in authority to face up to the reality that non-enforcement of our traffic regulations is the cause of many accidents? And that non-enforcement by the police is tantamount to approval bordering on endorsement? In all countries a red traffic light means stop, but many Trini drivers cheat at the traffic lights, if no policeman is present. The tolerance by the police of this and other traffic infractions has resulted in many fatal accidents.

The sight of a police uniform is a deterrent to crime. We need police officers to be visible on the job.

Michael J Williams via email