Don’t drive police vehicles!

It was recently discovered that none of the police vehicles were properly insured and in the event of an accident, officers may not be properly compensated.

"An injury to an officer falls under clause 22 of 96 of the Protective Service Compensation Act, which provides some assistance for permanent or partial disability. It does not provide for others and is very vague on the areas it covers," Cpl Neptune told the media yesterday.

"Because of this, several officers are waiting over two years and more for compensation after showing signs of injuries suffered long after the accident occurred. We gave the management until 4 pm yesterday to respond. If by Friday nothing is in place, then all officers will be debarred from entering any police vehicle anywhere," he added.

Neptune made these statements at a press conference held at the association’s Besson Street headquarters to respond to a recent statement attributed to both National Security Minister Martin Joseph and Police Commissioner Trevor Paul, which accused the Police Service of not delivering the type of service expected of the organisation to the public. While admitting that there are officers who are not really working as they should, Neptune identified bad management as one of the main factors affecting the service.

He also accused the police administration of duplicating their job specifications and stretching the service thin by creating several specialised units — like the Inter-Agency Task Force and the Firearm Interdiction Unit — which is putting pressure on an already depleted Police Service.

Officers have left the service by death, retirement, resignation, study leave, no pay leave and those seconded to other agencies, which sources said, has left the service short by about 1,000 officers.

The outspoken association president also accused the Special Anti-crime Unit of TT (SAUTT) of being a political tool which is a law unto itself. He then called for its disbanding, suggesting that there was no legal framework in place for the unit which can lead to corruption since it does not fall under the protective services and according to Neptune, reports only to a Government minister.

Neptune also said he did not have any idea what SAUTT was all about although he said large sums of money were being spent on machinery, high tech-equipment (including the $26 million blimp) and salaries for the elite unit, which he said was to the detriment of the regular Police Service. He also claimed the unit was a alternate service to the Police Service.

Cpl Neptune also chided the administration for promises to reconstruct more than 15 dilapidated police stations during the last two years, none of which have ever been started and with only two more months for the fiscal year to end. The stations, which run from Toco to Carenage to Moruga, are all dilapidated, making for an uncomfortable working environment for officers.

Neptune also lamented the fact that since the appointment of Trevor Paul as Police Commissioner in 2003, there have been no promotions in the service which has a demoralising effect on officers, resulting in loss of enthusiasm for the job.