Sando E999 service crippled

The officers have placed blame squarely on National Security Minister Martin Joseph and Police Commissioner Trevor Paul saying as a result of the vehicular shortage, E999 police are receiving heavy criticism from the public.

Efforts by Newsday to reach both Minister Joseph and Commissioner Paul for comment on this matter yesterday, proved futile.

Sources said that in 1994, 20 vehicles were sent to the E999 Rapid Response Unit based at Marabella Police Station. Seven years later, the fleet was down to ten - the rest having been sent to VMCOTT for repairs.

Yesterday, a senior police source confirmed that out of the remaining ten vehicles from the original batch of 20, nine have also been sent to VMCOTT leaving one vehicle — an Opel Astra — to service the E999 Unit which covers areas in and around San Fernando including Marabella, Mon Repos, Pleasantville, La Romaine and Woodland.

“Some of the vehicles including two jeeps have been at VMCOTT for several months and we have not been given any replacement vehicles to use,” an E999 source said.

Several reports were made to CoP Paul and the national security ministry, another source said.

Deputy Police Commissioner Winston Cooper yesterday told Newsday he was not aware of the vehicle shortage in South but assured that he would personally look into the matter.