…….No action taken by Investigating officer
By FRANCIS JOSEPH
The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has recommended disciplinary action be taken against a police officer for failing to investigate domestic violence reports involving a member of the Defence Force and his wife, a police officer.
That recommendation is one of many issued by the PCA to the Office of Commissioner of Police where no action has ever been taken.
In June 2024, Mr R, from the TTDF, visited the Arima Police Station where he made a report against his wife, WPC LT who is a police officer relative to an argument they had on the same date.
Mr R indicated that his wife was the holder of a Firearms Users’ Licence and that she had a firearm. The following month, Mr R was granted an interim protection order against his wife.
On July 9, 2024, Mr R said his wife was following him around the house promising to “deal with him” and “to mash up the house”. He went back to the police station and reported the matter to WPC J who said she was too tired to take the report. She instructed him to return the following day.
The following day, he returned to the Arima Police Station and made a report and where WPC J was listed as the assigned investigator. But Mr R was never contacted by WPC J. On July 13, 2024, Mr R said he was contacted by WPC C who said PC S was in charge of the investigation.
On September 4, 2024, Mr R noticed he was being followed by a Sergeant and that photographs were being taken. Mr R said he informed PC S that that constituted a breach of the protection order. Try as he may, Mr R was unable to contact PC S after that day.
Fast forward to one year later – September 3, 2025. PC S was served by the PCA with a document requesting information as to the status of the investigation. In his response dated September 30, 2025, PC S stated, “After reading your correspondence, I am unsure as to what I did or did not do and as such I shall seek advice going forward. Also, moving forward, kindly state what action was taken or was not taken by me.”
Correspondence was served by the PCA on WPC J on September 5, 2025. In her response, she stated “I did make some inquiries relative to the allegation made and found that the victim, Mr R, was a member of the Defence Force and his wife who happens to be a member of the TTPS, at a time when the report was being made, were having serious marital issues for some time as I would of dealt with his wife previously before him making the report in question.”
WPC J checked in the station diary and said a note was purportedly made by her. It was not in her handwriting, but written by another PC H.
Based on its own investigation, the PCA submitted a file to the Officer of the Commissioner of Police for disciplinary action to be taken.
This was one of the cases submitted by the PCA during the period January to March this year. The PCA is headed by David West.
