PM to meet Snaggs on excessive force used by cops

Saying that there needs to be a “more friendly interaction” between the Police and the population, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said yesterday he planned to meet with Commissioner of Police and the executive of the Police Service next week to discuss the issue of  police officers using excessive force and acting unreasonably. Saying that the issue had not escaped his attention  or that of the rest of his Government, Manning said he and National Security Minister Martin Joseph would be meeting with the Commissioner of Police and members of the executive of the Police Service on the issue. “The reality of that situation is that the police find themselves in the midst of conflicting requirements, on one hand to take appropriate steps to preserve law and order and on the other, remove themselves from exposure to the allegations of excessive force and become friends of the population,” the PM said.

He said it was very important that the leadership of the Police Service recognised that it was necessary to have that shift in perspective.
He said the Police Service “from the top” had to create the environment that would enable policemen to have a more friendly interaction between the police Service and the population it served. Last Sunday, 18-year-old Kevin Cato was shot to death by a policeman at the “Outrageous in Red” fete. His friend Ryan Solomon was also wounded. Asked whether Trinidad and Tobago had any specific threats to its ports, specifically its LNG tankers, Manning said he knew of no specific threat. He stressed that  LNG was a highly explosive commodity and therefore the conditions under which it is manufactured and transported must be stringent to ensure safety. Manning also said he met with the Opposition Leader “behind the Speaker’s chair” for about 10 minutes. They plan to set an agenda next week for a future meeting.