The police side of TT’s crime problem

Here is what this officer revealed to me:

“The story of how to call the police is indeed a funny one as well as true. You see, I have as they say ‘been there done that’ in this our police service. In most police stations, officers work shift ie 8 am-6 pm and 6 pm-8 am the following day, with two days off.

There are stations or units that work 24-hour shifts. The first day off commences when you complete your 6 pm to 8 am shift. Most times this “day off” doesn’t get started until you’ve attended court, from 9 am usually to 11.30 am, depending on the magistrate in the court where your matter is being heard.

Then, if you’re lucky, you go home to rest, or like most of us you have kids to pick up from school or you are called back out to station for an exercise at 9 pm or 12 noon, so by the time you return for your tour of duty you are still tired or you have court again, which would explain the lack of police officers at the station or in the streets during the course of the day.

If you go to the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on any weekday from 9 am, you will see what I’m talking about. The courts are full of police officers appearing as complainants in cases they’ve made. And people say police not working!

The night shift however is a different story. Most times officers don’t report for duty until long after 6 pm — if they come at all. The shifts usually comprise of six to seven persons with the most senior officer being a senior constable, acting corporal or full corporal.

In some cases the senior man doesn’t even come out leaving a junior constable to run the shift. You’d be surprised at the great job some of these young ones do.

Then one or two officers report sick and two might be on vacation, so we’re talking about a shift with three officers or even four, with two vehicles at a station. One of these is an unmarked vehicle. Two officers must remain at the station for safety and security purposes — there are firearms and hundreds of ammunition at the station. Can you imagine what would take place if there is one officer alone at the station and bandits storm the station? Or there are prisoners in custody? I shudder to think of the consequences.

Meanwhile the other two officers at station are completing paperwork, or one might be interviewing a victim or a witness. The driver did not report for duty and none of the officers on duty are authorised to drive police vehicles. Such authorisation must come from the Commissioner after the officer successfully completes a police driving course.

So, if a report of man on premises or a burglary comes in, normally a call is made to a neighbouring station to request assistance with a driver and or vehicle.

Most times the response is, “We cannot assist at this time due to depleted strength,” or “Our vehicle and driver are out on several reports and would not be available for at least three hours.”

Everyone in Trinidad and Tobago believes all police officers who have drivers’ permits can just jump into a police vehicle and go. This is not so! There are not enough police drivers in the service right now. Complaints to the powers that be with regard to depleted strength, lack of drivers, non functioning or ancient firearms, computerising the stations, overtime payment etc, fall on deaf ears.

The police service needs cleaning up from the top come down. There are senior officers, including members of the executive, who are not known to the junior ranks.

If the Deputy Commissioner of Police, the Commissioner of Police and other members of the executive would visit stations to get to know their officers, especially those on the frontline, maybe Mr Paul would get the cooperation he wants, not just from the public but from his officers as well.

You talk about community policing and how are we as police officers expected to establish good community relations. However, very often when we go into the communities, the residents resent us.

On one occasion I was walking through a particular area known to be a “hot spot” and a young man ran up to me, put his hand in my face and said, “If you know how I don’t like —-ing police.” He did this twice while standing there in the most menacing manner.

As a police officer supposedly trained to handle enemy contact I couldn’t think of a thing to do because my thoughts were all jumbled up with fear. I found myself slowly unclipping my holster while looking at him straight in the eye and said in a very soft voice, “You have two seconds to get out of my face!”

To my relief he thought better of it and left. Just walked away. I was very frightened but I did what I felt was the right thing. Another officer probably would have shot him.

The fact is a lot of residents in these communities do not want to help the police. We are the enemy and are treated as such, and most times these people have their own private agendas, like the people who are aware of the gun runners and drug dealers but say and do nothing because it profits them.

I agree that there is need for training in public relations but the public must be made aware of certain things to establish some form of trust. I think it should start with being truthful to persons, making reports at station exactly what the situation is.

There are police officers in this country who work very hard and go out of their way to assist people whether on duty or not, vehicle at station or not, trivial report or not.

It doesn’t matter, all reports are attended to. It is these officers who do not get the recognition they deserve and are made to feel unappreciated.

Sometimes a simple “job well done” from a senior or even a member of public goes a long way. Charity begins at home and for police reform to be effective, cleaning house must start at the top.”

(ssheppard@newsday.co.tt)