Cops to take lie detector test

THE Police Reform Bills may have failed in Parliament, but Government is moving at full speed ahead to weed out corrupt police officers by issuing them with “integrity forms” seeking details of their personal lives and trying to find out if any of them have been involved in terrorism and attempts to overthrow the democratically-elected Govern-ment. However, Government’s efforts have met a stumbling block as the Police Second Division Association has ordered police officers not to provide the information until the association knows where the personal and private information of police officers will be going. The Government said that all information will be kept “strictly confidential.”

Police officers were required to submit their answers by midday on Thursday, but president of the Second Division Association, Cpl Cedric Neptune, told Newsday yesterday that “until the association knows for sure where this information is going, these officers will not be providing that information. No one consulted with the association about this,” he added. Government sent copies of the document called “security questionnaire” to the Police Administration last week to be forwarded to police officers. During this week, the document was handed out to constables in specialist areas of the Police Service. As a preamble, the document states: “In order to safeguard parliamentary democracy and in the interest of national security, it is the policy of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) that no one should be employed in connection with work, the nature of which is vital to the security of the State who is, or ever has been in or associated with any of the following activities threatening national security:

• Terrorism


• Espionage


• Sabotage


• Actions intended to overthrow or undermine parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means.


• Is, or has recently been, a member of any organisation which has advocated such activities.


• Is susceptible to pressure from any such organisation or from foreign intelligence service or a hostile power.

The document tells police officers that after they have completed the questionnaire, they will be required to take a polygraph examination.
There are 36 questions which police officers are required to answer. Some of them include:

•  Have you travelled to any other country in the last ten years, if yes, please list dates and times.


• Have you been detained for questioning in relation to a criminal offence?


• Have you ever been involved or been a suspect in any internal investigation at any place of employment?


• Have you ever been arrested or charged with any offence?


• Have you ever used narcotics?


• Have you ever personally participated or aided in the sale, purchase, growing or transporting of narcotics, or protected a narco-trafficker?


• Do you have any co-workers who currently use narcotics?


• Have you ever been offered or received a payment or gratuity from any narco-trafficker, illegal gun-runner?


• Have you ever been involved in the sale or transporting of any illegal arms or ammunition?


• List the gifts you have received as a result of any favour or service extended to others.


• State your current salary, estimated monthly expenditure (mortgage, rent, utilities, groceries, child support, alimony), financial institutions associated with, name of institution and address, banks, credit unions, current loans, sums borrowed and method of payment. Are your loan payments up to date? Are your credit card payments up to date? List the last payment date.


• Are you under the care of a doctor at this time? When was your last visit to a doctor and for what reason?


• Have you ever been under the care of a psychologist/psychiatrist?


• Do you have hearing problems? Do you have vision in both eyes? How would you describe your alcohol consumption?

When police officers received the questionnaire earlier this week, they called in the police association. Newsday learnt that Neptune met with the disgruntled officers. Neptune told Newsday that the information requested by the Government was confidential. “Our difficulty, is that we (the association) were not consulted. Nobody was informed what the information will be used for. What security is assured for that information? What is the purpose intended for that information, what is this information going to achieve? I told the officers not to provide that information until we know more.” Neptune continued, “We are trying to get to the bottom of this. If this affects police officers, it will affect this association. “The document came from the police administration and was passed to a specialist area. I cannot say if it will be passed to all constables, or other ranks in the police service.” Under the Integrity in Public Life Act 2000, public officials have been asked to declare their assets, but they are not required to answer such questions which have been posed to police officers.