Police must earn respect

THE EDITOR: This letter is a blanket statement for the entire police force of Trinidad and Tobago. It is also of interest to the citizens of this country. It concerns the credibility of the police.

I, along with a few friends, recently had a strange encounter with a policeman. We were leaving our home at 5 am on Jouvert morning. After driving only a few feet away from our gate, a police car came up behind us with its lights flashing. Being fully aware of the fact that the police are themselves involved in crime in this country, we were hesitant to pull over. Also given the fact it was still dark, there were only females in the car, and the place was deserted — it would be no surprise to anyone reading this that we were hesitant to comply with their expectations.

We had planned on driving to a busy area but we decided to stop, lest our pursuers were trigger-happy. One officer came out of his vehicle and came over to our car. He shone his light in each of our faces. Petrified with fear, we did not turn down the window. He became angry at this fact and started shouting at us to turn down the window. He began to question what we were doing and where we were going. We explained everything to him in detail. He expressed extreme surprise at the fact that we were afraid to stop, afraid of him and afraid to turn down the window. This is the kicker — how could the police possibly still think that they have the respect of the people? Don’t they know that, despite what is reported in the media, many are aware of the rampant corruption that eats at the very core of the service? My dear police officers, legitimacy is not simply granted to you because you wear a uniform of authority. Like credibility, it has to be earned.

S WILLIAMSON
Cunupia