Colm: $800M backpay for police

Amidst a series of heated exchanges between Government and Opposition MPs, Imbert said this sum is included in the $2.9 billion allocation to the TT Police Service.

Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh initially asked if such backpay is included in the extra $353 million allocated to the TTPS, in the hike in this year’s recurrent expenditure of $1.42 billion, over last year’s $1.07 billion (and $866 million the year before).

Minister of National Security, Edmund Dillon, replied “yes”, and promised to provide Gopeesingh with the figures of the arrears.

Gopeesingh pressed him, at which point Imbert interjected, “$800 million”.

The Caroni East MP replied, “Are you being facetious?”.

Imbert hit back by saying he’d answer no more question from “that gentleman”.

Gopeesingh retorted, “I’m not a gentleman! I’m the Member of Caroni East! He (Imbert) is rude and obnoxious!”.

Imbert replied, “If it offends Caroni East to be called a gentleman, I’ll no longer do so”.

Gopeesingh replied, “I am a gentleman. I’m a better gentleman than you.” Tabaquite MP Dr Suruj Rambachan later queried the $800 million in backpay, saying the various figures for this year’s increases in salaries ($353 million more), allowances ($95 million more) and overtime ($153 million more) only added up to $601 million, short of the $800 million pledged for backpay.

Imbert replied that the estimates documents include an element of bargaining, as he explained that some of the backpay was already paid last year and more is to be paid this year.

He said if the Government has already paid $400 million out of a $800 million debt, then it now owes $400 million. Naparima MP Rodney Charles asked if overtime costs could be reduced? Dillon replied that overtime arises because the Police Service is short by 963 officers. It has 6,002 officers, out of an ideal strength of 7,884 officers.

Rambachan complained of a six-hour wait for police to get from Chaguanas Police Station to Ramsaran Park, and asked what proportion of the country’s 6,002 officers are on duty on any given day, such as half or two-thirds? Deputy Speaker, Esmond Forde, in the chair ruled that Dillon had already answered that question, in reference to his earlier statement to Rambachan that there is no “normal day” but that he could give him an average (which he did not supply at that sitting).

Oropouche West MP Vidia Gayadeen-Gopeesingh asked about a $5 million allocation for rentals, to which Dillon replied that the TTPS rents 22 sites/ buildings, and the decision if to rent or to buy is the choice of the Police Commissioner.

Dillon disclosed that a $15.4 million allocation will buy 65 new police vehicles.

He said the current fleet consists of 1,320 operational vehicles, 337 non-operational, and 100 under survey.

Some 20 percent of vehicles get repaired at VMCOTT, while new vehicles are serviced by the car-dealers under the manufacturers warranty.