(TRINIDAD NEWSDAY) PUBLIC Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte said he felt as if he was treated like a criminal by police officers when he was stopped and redirected from Dock Road near the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Sunday evening, due to ongoing road works by the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA).
Newsday spoke with Le Hunte yesterday and he refuted earlier reports that he was on his cellphone while driving. Le Hunte said he simply intended to turn from Wrightson Road onto Dock Road, when police stopped and instructed him to find an alternate route onto the compound.
“There were two things I noticed when I turned to enter the road. One was the lack of proper signage to indicate this road was closed and the other was how the officer spoke to me. I felt like I was treated like some kind of criminal and I did not think as a citizen of this country, this was good customer service at all,” Le Hunte told Newsday.
Le Hunte said he only called Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to alert him to the fact that one of the officers gave him (Le Hunte) a false regimental number. Yesterday, a photo of a page taken from a police station’s diary extract detailing the police’s interaction with Le Hunte was circulated on social media.
“I did not want another citizen to have to experience that and end up in a similar situation…that was the only reason why I decided to call him (Griffith) and bring some attention to this matter. I have no problem following instructions, but I felt the way that officer spoke to me was wrong. That is not proper customer service,” Le Hunte reiterated.
Le Hunte said he attempted to give his cellphone to the officer to get him to talk to Commissioner Griffith, but was told that it was not proper police protocol to speak on a member of the public’s phone. Besides, the officer told Le Hunte, he could not confirm if the person on the other end was in fact Commissioner Griffith as he (the officer) would not be able to recognise Griffith’s voice.
OFFICERS WRONG
Contacted for comment, Griffith told Newsday the officers acted inappropriately when they stopped Le Hunte on Sunday night, as they tried to issue him with a ticket for driving through a no entry zone at the corner of Wrightson Road and Dock Road.
Griffith also denied initial police reports that Le Hunte was on his phone while driving. Griffith said it was not unusual for him to take phone calls from concerned citizens and said Le Hunte called him because he was concerned about the “arrogant manner” in which police were speaking to him.
“By the time I reached on the scene, he (Le Hunte) had already left, so I had no interaction with him. But from what I understand, the minister was trying to turn into the Hyatt from Wrightson Road and thought he could do so, not seeing any no entry signs put up.
“It was an honest mistake on his part and the officers, not knowing that, tried to issue him a ticket. However, something of concern to me was that one of the officers gave the minister a wrong regimental number. By the time I started speaking to that officer, I could tell it wasn’t his real number. This is something I take very seriously and disciplinary action will be taken against this officer.”
He also said that contrary to what the officer told Le Hunte, “It is not against police protocol to speak on a citizen’s cell phone, especially if the person on the other end may be a senior officer.”
I BACK MY OFFICERS
Griffith said it was unfortunate the police did not contact their divisional commander to get a contact number for him to verify whether the person on the phone with Le Hunte was in fact the CoP.
He said while the police were wrong in their approach when dealing with Le Hunte, he stands by all members of the police service if they are unlawfully challenged by citizens.
“Just as how I will come to the assistance of citizens in person who may have been wronged by the police, I will make the same effort to come to the assistance of police in person, if they are ever opposed by citizens acting unlawfully.” He said the police involved in the incident should have placed proper signs to show Dock Road was closed.
Head of the Police Service Social Welfare Association Insp Michael Seales said while he is aware of the situation he prefers not to make any public comment until after Commissioner Griffith meets with the officers involved.