CABINET APPROVES $1M PAYOUT FOR SLAIN COPS

However, many families who had hoped to receive the benefit will be left disappointed as the payment will only apply to those officers who were killed from July 24, of last year.

It remains unclear why Cabinet opted to use July 24, 2015, as the official start date to begin the compensation payment, but this decision has the Police Social and Welfare Association questioning the decision.

On July 24, 2015, PC Sherman Maynard was shot and killed by murder accused Allan “Scanny” Martin as he and two others shot their way out of the Port-of-Spain Prison in a bid to escape.

Two weeks ago Cabinet agreed unanimously for the payment to be made pending the amendment of the Protective Services Act, which will be taken to Parliament soon for approval.

While this is being done, the Police Finance Branch will be asked to compile a list of all the officers slain in the line of duty from July 24, 2015, to present, to ascertain who are their beneficiaries.

Yesterday, President of the Police and Social Welfare Association Insp Michael Seales welcomed the Cabinet decision, but said it was a bitter pill to swallow for many families as the Cabinet chose to begin PC Maynard only.

Seales said while they were happy the Maynard family would benefit, he said the association viewed it as unfair since there were many other families of policemen who should have been excluded.

He said the association expects to write the Minister of National Security on the issue.

Seales pointed out that PC Persad who was killed during a marijuana exercise in Biche, and PC Manwaring who was killed trying to arrest robbery suspects in San Fernando in 2013, should also have been considered.

On September 8, 2014, former Minister of Finance Larry Howai announced that government had accepted the proposal from the Police Social and Welfare Association to pay $1 million to relatives of any member of the Protective Services killed in the line of duty.

The National Security Officers Foundation was then launched to facilitate such payments. CABINET has approved the payment of $1 million to families of members of the TT Police Service who were killed in the line of duty.

However, many families who had hoped to receive the benefit will be left disappointed as the payment will only apply to those officers who were killed from July 24, of last year.

It remains unclear why Cabinet opted to use July 24, 2015, as the official start date to begin the compensation payment, but this decision has the Police Social and Welfare Association questioning the decision.

On July 24, 2015, PC Sherman Maynard was shot and killed by murder accused Allan “Scanny” Martin as he and two others shot their way out of the Port-of-Spain Prison in a bid to escape.

Two weeks ago Cabinet agreed unanimously for the payment to be made pending the amendment of the Protective Services Act, which will be taken to Parliament soon for approval.

While this is being done, the Police Finance Branch will be asked to compile a list of all the officers slain in the line of duty from July 24, 2015, to present, to ascertain who are their beneficiaries.

Yesterday, President of the Police and Social Welfare Association Insp Michael Seales welcomed the Cabinet decision, but said it was a bitter pill to swallow for many families as the Cabinet chose to begin PC Maynard only.

Seales said while they were happy the Maynard family would benefit, he said the association viewed it as unfair since there were many other families of policemen who should have been excluded.

He said the association expects to write the Minister of National Security on the issue.

Seales pointed out that PC Persad who was killed during a marijuana exercise in Biche, and PC Manwaring who was killed trying to arrest robbery suspects in San Fernando in 2013, should also have been considered.

On September 8, 2014, former Minister of Finance Larry Howai announced that government had accepted the proposal from the Police Social and Welfare Association to pay $1 million to relatives of any member of the Protective Services killed in the line of duty.

The National Security Officers Foundation was then launched to facilitate such payments.