(Trinidad Express) The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) recently acquired 1,000 new body cameras which are currently being distributed, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said yesterday.
Hinds was responding to a question filed by Independent Senator Paul Richards in the Senate.
Hinds said the TTPS already had 160 functional body cameras in use in its armoury. It now has a total of 1,160, which are being deployed to maximum strategic effort in the fight against crime.
Hinds said there were plans to acquire additional body cameras, but he couldn’t say exactly how many more.
“More are in contemplation and we would continue to expand the use of body cameras. The ambition is to make it a routine part of policing,” Hinds said.
He said there is a policy on body cameras, which would be refined as the circumstances demand.
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the TTPS is currently investigating four matters involving vaccination fraud.
Responding to a question from Opposition Senator Wade Mark, Deyalsingh said the Ministry of Health was working with the TTPS to determine the prevalence of fraudulent vaccination practices and to take appropriate action.
He said as of yesterday, seven matters were before the TTPS, of which three persons were charged with conspiracy to misbehave in public office. He said the other four matters were currently being investigated.
Mark asked whether there was a time-frame to wrap up the four cases.
Deyalsingh said that would be determined by how long the Police Service takes to complete its investigations.
“The Ministry of Health is not a prosecutorial agency. We don’t investigate. We hand over those matters to the TTPS and it will take as much time as the TTPS deems sufficient,” he said.
