Moses: Police trained to deal with mentally ill

“The Police Service Academy’s induction programme offer training to recruits with respect to treating with mentally ill persons,” Moses said. On Monday, police shot and killed a mentally ill man identified as Daniel ‘Paul-O’ Paul, 23, of Ste Madeleine after he threw stones at them near his home.

The standing orders of the Police Service, Moses said, defines who is a mentally ill person as well as officers designated to deal with them.

Moses, also a Minister in the Ministry of National Security, said that guidelines to handle mentally ill persons who have breached the law and have been detained by the police, and the process for detention by the police, are in place.

In light of the recent fatal shooting, the TTPS, he said, “is in the process of reviewing its training programmes. Training continues apace.” On another matter, asked what Government was doing in relation to a recent statement made by Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries that the Caroni Swamp was being used for human trafficking, and the smuggling of illegal drugs and weapons, Moses said, “The Ministry of National Security exercises ongoing vigilance.” The security services, he said, conducts operations countrywide with focus on particular locales to safeguard the national security interests as necessary.