Police engage gay rights groups

In a statement to the media on Tuesday, the Alliance for Justice and Diversity said last Wednesday’s meeting with Phillip and other senior police officials was a historic session aimed at cooperation in strengthening policing.

Womantra co-director Khadija Sinanan said the meeting was a very promising engagement with receptive leaders of the Police Service.

“The goal on both sides was to improve how the TTPS can serve, protect and restore the confidence of members of LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex) communities.” The meeting was the fruit of the Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) efforts at strengthening relationships between the police and NGOs by a series of quarterly meetings.

The LGBTQI groups used that channel to reach out to Acting Commissioner Stephen Williams who assigned DCP Phillip to build a liaison with them, respond to their concerns, and develop action steps.

CAISO head, Colin Robinson said, “The primary thrust was to help us understand how the service works, how it deals with policing issues that affect us, and who we can engage to ensure good policing or address bad policing. “We asked police to provide us with a trustworthy and stigma-free channel to report crimes.” The police promised to work with LGBTQI communities on further meetings and linkages with police and changes to policing procedures for investigating gender-based, sexual and hate violence — including the possible creation of a broad special victims unit. The meeting also resolved to a future review of five recent murder cases to ensure LGBTQI communities have reliable public information about any patterns or threats of violence and can help solve cases.

The LGBTQI groups will participate in criminology research and in how the Police Academy assesses and continuously improves its training on sexuality and gender, the latter initiative is a key part of the Alliance’s safety campaign. “The groups, working with the Equal Opportunity Commission and the University of the West Indies, and with the support of the European Union, hope to partner with the Academy and TTPS human resources managers to strengthen how the Service prepares officers to police domestic and bias violence.” Terry Ann Roy of the group, I Am One, said, “We’re working to improve policing, to make people safe, not make them scared.

What we owe each other are facts, change and leadership that makes us safe. And a lot less drama.” Responding to a gay policeman’s recent testimony to news media about unsolved murders and attacks against gay men and officers who shame LGBTQI victims and fail to take or investigate reports, the alliance pleaded with him and others to share concrete, specific details of all such issues at justicediversitytt@ gmail.com.