(Trinidad Express) As he lamented corruption in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service TTPS, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Saturday offered monetary incentives for officers of “integrity”.
The PM was speaking at a public meeting at Harris Promenade, San Fernando, as the Government and other political parties ramp up campaigning, ahead of the August 14 local government elections (LGE). The PNM also presented its slate of candidates for the election.
Rowley said talks with National Security Minister, Fitzgerald Hinds were followed by an agreement to accept the creation of “vetted units” within arms of national security, assisted by the United States, and for which those officers could be paid more.
The PM said there were “too many criminals in the police service” and the Government was willing to pay extra to have these units assist in ridding the service of corruption.
“I was in a meeting with the Minister of National Security and our experts and the American experts, where the American government has undertaken – and we have agreed to accept it, to create within our police service, what we call vetted units. Vetted units, meaning groups of special police officers, men and women who are vetted to ensure that their integrity is intact,” Rowley stated.
“When you’re going after the non-police criminals, they have their friends in the police service, to tip them off. And we have to have vetted units.”
He later stated that:
“The ones that have integrity that you want, you’ve got to protect them. You got to increase their numbers because we are now in a life and death struggle with the criminals in this country,” the Prime Minister said.
Rowley said criminal officers put lives in danger, stating:
“I’m telling this country that we are prepared to pay extra to police officers in those vetted units if they will maintain their integrity and help us to root out the criminals in the police service, in the customs, in immigration and in the Parliament.”
The PM had accused the Opposition United National Congress of corruption and of changing nothing in the local government system during its time in office.
He also stated: “So they want to talk crime, crime and criminals are not only on the corners, they’re inside the parliament, inside the parliament, so when they talk, it just boils my blood when I see them because I know they have questions to answer.”
Rowley said there were criminals in the TTPS and in the Parliament who felt the answer to crime was to flood the country with guns, adding that the firearms users’ license FUL) system had been corrupted by the police.
