Are random police searches legal?

THE EDITOR: It is good to see the police service in TT being proactive and beginning to get serious with the violators of the country’s traffic laws, as they relate to drivers operating safe and road-worthy vehicles, with all the required tags, licenses, stickers and insurance certifications. I believe that this type of action is long overdue, since it should help ensure that drivers operate safe and properly registered and insured vehicles. In the long run, I believe, it will help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the nation’s roads each year.

By my contention with this “Dragnet” operation is with the police ordering people out of their cars and searching them. My question is, what was the probable cause for the police officers to do these searches? Is it the law of the land that, in “blanket stops” like this was; the police have the right to order people out of their vehicles and search them indiscriminately (looking for whatever) for no apparent reason? Are people not entitled to any assumption of privacy in their persons and personal affects when they are driving on the roads of TT? In most democratic jurisdictions, people have the freedom to move about and conduct their lives without the fear of intrusion by law enforcement officers, unless there is some “probable and legal cause” for that intrusion. Without that due cause, I see this as a great invasion of the public’s freedom of movement and question its validity and constitutionality?

I could be wrong. So, maybe a more versed legal mind can enlighten me and the rest of the readers on this issue. Again, I applaud the police efforts on cracking down on speeders, enforcing the removal of tinting that is too dark and other illegal devises on automobiles. I support their conduct of other safety checks on vehicles on the road. But to start stopping, patting down and conducting other types of searches of drivers on the road, without probable cause, borders on what you would see in a police State. Do we really want that for TT? I would hope not! I know crime is out of control in TT and maybe people do not see this as an intrusion into their freedom and are willing to “put up with” the inconvenience and humiliation of being searched along the side of the road for no apparent reason. If this is true, then who am I to say that you should question the tactics of the police in doing their job? Just remember, you get what you deserve and what you are willing to put up with.

KELVIN C JAMES
Port-of-Spain