(Trinidad Guardian) Come next Monday police officers have vowed to shutdown the country. That was the decision taken during a central committee meeting yesterday at the office of the Police Social and Welfare Association, Besson Street Police Station, Port-of-Spain. Scores of “angry, frustrated and disgusted officers” attended the two-hour meeting and have branded August 15, 2011 as a “day of rest and reflection.” Officers said scores of lawmen were expected to stay at home rather than report for duty. They also maintained they were fed-up by the high-handed approach by Government and the executive of the Police Service, charging that for far too long officers had been treated with scant regard. During yesterday’s meeting, flyers were distributed and were posted on all notice boards at every station and at the offices of all elite units of the Police Service. Among the units was the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB), whose members were normally called out to man the country and maintain law and order, especially in cases of emergency. The T&T Guardian obtained a copy of one of the flyers, which read: “21st Century Policing vs five per cent. Work like an elephant eat like an ant.”
The flyer also listed a host of duties and functions of a police officer, including: Deliver babies; provide counselling; father the fatherless; leave an officer’s family at home to provide security and safety for others; provide legal advice; community leader; and referee and an arbitrator.
The flyer also identified problems encountered daily by officers, including leaking sewers, defective vehicles, condemned buildings, fleas, cockroaches and rats at stations and officers having to use broken toilets and “dirty mattresses and cots that were over 50 years old.” The flyer said no medical coverage was being provided for officers who were exposed to dangerous drugs, chemicals and gases. The flyer also urged officers to reject the final offer of five per cent made last Wednesday by Chief Personnel Officer Stephanie Lewis. It stated: “Decide on five per cent — united we stand, divided we beg. “We have families, we have to provide for our children and we need to feel safe too.” One member of the central committee, assigned to Western Division, said during the meeting officers were “very vociferous” that five per cent was “totally unacceptable.” She said: “The work we do as police officers and the dangers we encounter… police should be treated better than how we are being treated now. “Working conditions are very poor and salaries are not meeting our basic needs.”
She said all central committee representatives were in unanimous agreement with the general council and the executive of the association that five per cent must not be accepted, “not now, not ever.” The committee member was adamant, however, that the “day of rest and reflection” was forced upon police officers. She added: “It’s not that we want to do this because we have the country at heart. We have the safety of the citizens at heart. “But we are also part of this country and we are not being treated fairly.” She said what added further “insult to injury” was a local advertisement, aired on the television, which showed a child wanting $50 and the mother only being able to give $5. “To top it all off this advertisement on television is very disrespectful to the people who are fighting for this cause but they don’t seem to care about that,” she said. According to the committee member, officers were driven to carry out the 21st Century Policing Project with little or no facilities or accommodation being afforded to them. The officer added: “The accommodation is not suitable. To me the project has failed. A lot of officers are complaining. “They will complain in the background because nobody wants to be victimised because as soon as you say something they will transfer you. “Some people have been working in lucrative positions and they don’t want to lose this additional dollar so they will take the nonsense and say nothing.” Using the Four Roads Police Station as an example she said most of the dormitory space was replaced by offices yet to be properly installed. The officer said about 12 female officers were forced to share one mattress which was placed on the floor. Thirty male officers assigned to the station also were forced to share two double-decker beds.
Police must act responsibly—association
Secretary of the association, Sgt Michael Seales, yesterday distanced the organisation from any decision taken by the membership to stay way from duty. Seales said no member of the association’s executive was invited to attended the central committee meeting. He said he believed what cemented the decision of the officers was Monday’s announcement at the general council meeting that a senior executive member of the Police Service was obtaining a BMW 7 Series car. The office of the Police Commissioner has since refuted these claims, saying: “There was no impropriety regarding the purchase of a vehicle for the office of the Commissioner of Police.” Seales said another complaint made yesterday by officers was the non-payment of overtime for last month. “Sections, including Task Force officers across the board, said they have not received any overtime payment,” he added. Seales said one female officer from South Western Division, who was expecting the extra money, was forced to postpone her wedding for a second time. “The officer is very distraught. This is just one example of how traumatised officers are,” he added. Seales said a meeting scheduled yesterday with the chief personnel officer had to be cancelled because of the “activities of membership.” The association, he said, was, however, sympathetic with the officers. Seales added: “It is a very sad issue. We have tried to get officers to stay on the job. “Negotiations have been dragging for four years but if officers are so minded about their day of rest and reflection the association has no moral authority to stop them.”
Officers will turn up says senior cop
Deputy Police Commissioner Mervyn Richardson has assured there were contingency plans in place in the event of any sickout action by his charges. “We would hope that officers do not stay home at all. That is the first contingency we have,” Richardson said during a telephone interview yesterday. He said several discussions were held between the executive of the Police Service and the membership. “We have been speaking to the officers. We met with them with the hope good sense will prevail,” Richardson added. Pleading with officers not to put the country “under stress” the senior cop said he had faith that officers will turn up for duty. “We are hoping officers will not put the nation under stress and I strongly believe they will turn out for duty,” he said.
