UNC MP backs cops who abandoned station

UNC Member of Parliament for Oropouche Dr Roodal Moonilal has come out in support of officers who abandoned their posts at the dilapidated Oropouche Police Station on Thursday.

“I am not surprised that the police packed up and left,” Moonilal told Newsday yesterday. He called on the authorities to act swiftly to ensure that police stations were in working and habitable condition, so officers would not be forced to leave their police stations and compromise the maintenance of law and order. On Thursday, 21 officers cleared up their belongings and abandoned the termite-infested, rotting Oropouche Police Station and went to the Fyzabad Police Station, where they will be stationed until the police station is rebuilt or refurbished. “These police officers have been forced to operate under horrific working conditions, without protective gear and exposure to violent criminal elements,” Moonilal said. “I have heard of several complaints of police officers who said they were not paid overtime and I have also heard that the Debe Police Post is undermanned,” he added. “It is an act of gross hypocrisy for Government to spend $.5 billion on ten-day projects, yet turn a blind eye to the plight of police officers,” Moonilal ended.