People are saying that former Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, and the general public are on safe ground when they are highly critical of the present Commissioner of Police, Allister Guevarro, for his non-issuance of firearms to the public.
People are saying that once the necessary checks are carried out and persons qualify for the issuance of a firearm this should be accorded to them as a right and not as some favour by the Commissioner of Police who behaves as if he is lord and master of some policy in this matter of which he alone is aware.
People are saying that when the smoke has been cleared, the public is beginning to realise that, in this matter of the approval of Firearm User’s Licence (FUL), Guevarro is no different from former Police Commissioners Erla Christopher, Junior Benjamin or McDonald Jacob, despite his efforts to prove differently.
People are saying that there are citizens who have used their firearms to defend themselves and which firearms the police has retaken for years pending some never-to-be-held enquiry leaving the firearm holders exposed to the ravages of crime.
People are saying that Defence Minister, Wayne Sturge, is right that, in principle, people’s applications for FULs should be approved once all the guidelines are met and that this is consistent with the UNC’s manifesto as well as with the recent passage of the Stand Your Ground legislation.
People are saying that former Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, one of the best Police Commissioners this country has ever seen, is on target when he says that one cannot stand your ground with a pillow.
PNM controlling the PTSC under a UNC government
People are saying that PTSC workers have become incensed that, in spite of the fact that the UNC is now in government, the PNM is still controlling the PTSC with the same PNM management in place after the April, 28 General Election.
The PTSC workers are saying that this situation is exacerbated under the present General Manager of the PTSC, Lt Col (Ret) Patrick Gomez. The PTSC workers are angry at the wrongful termination of a worker without evidence as determined by a tribunal in the matter. The worker has been employed in the PTSC for the past 16 years. There are several other issues affecting the workers vis a vis the present management.
The workers are also saying that their Line Minister, Eli Zakour, held a town hall meeting with them several months ago and had assured them that changes will be coming in the management of the PTSC but that none has come to date.
Besides Gomez, the other members of the PTSC Management team are Chantal Paul (Corporate Secretary), Vonchaz Lum York (Internal Auditor), Lalitha Bala-Cetty (Deputy General Manager, (Corporate Planning and Strategic Performance Monitoring), Gloria Corneal-Boyce (Deputy General Manager, Finance and Accounts), Charlene Webb-Brereton (Head of Information, Communication & Technology) and Sebastien Edwards (Deputy General Manager (Operations)
People are saying that the Chairman of PTSC, Damien Ayres, a relic from the Calder Hart era, had been hand-picked by Zakour to be the Chairman of the PTSC Board but while the Board is weak, Ayres is weaker.
Why only now?
People are saying that there are several reports circulating in the public space that guns and ammunition have been stolen from the Municipal Police Station over the years and have been sold to criminal elements.
It has even been reported that Glock pistols from the same station were sold for at least $10,000 each and that this has been going on for months, only to be made public now.
People are asking if a crime had not occurred at the said station if such a discovery would have ever been made and, furthermore, they are asking what checks and balances are in place at not only municipal police stations but police stations throughout the country to ensure that all firearms and ammunitions under the control of the police are properly accounted for.
People are also asking the same with regard to the armoury of the Defence Force.
People are saying that “out of evil cometh good” and while they are sorry that a woman police officer lost her life at the hands of her colleagues, hopefully the evil will now accelerate the process for some much-needed reforms in the Police Service.
A Reactive T&T
People are saying that if there are Olympic medals for reactive behaviour by a nation, Trinidad & Tobago will receive gold, silver and bronze altogether since the country is never proactive but reactive.
A child is unfortunately killed in a jet ski accident in Pigeon Point and immediately the THA passes a Maritime Parks Bill even though bathers have been complaining of the danger years before.
A woman police corporal has been murdered and over 100 firearms and 6000 rounds of ammunition have been stolen (yet to be fully recovered) and suddenly there are all kinds of reactions from the authorities – a new ACP to head the Municipal Police and the TTPS to take control of municipal police weapons even though the problems in the municipal police were known more than eight months ago; a grim mass grave filled with the bodies of 50 babies and six adults has been discovered in a cemetery in Cumuto and only now we know that the funeral industry lacks legislation to govern its operations despite years of lobbying successive governments. And the list goes on and on and on………
People are saying that there many situations in the country where proactive behavour is recommended and one such area is the removal of the restriction where able-bodied soldiers are forced to retire at the age of 45 which restriction is a legacy from the British government.
The PCA is a toothless tiger
People are saying that the Police Complaints Authority is nothing but a toothless tiger, full of sound and fury but harmless and lacking respect from all and sundry.
This has been the view and image the public has had of the PCA a long time ago but it has been re-enforced by Justice Marcia Ayres-Caesar’ judgment last Friday to order a payout by the state of over $4m to the families of five men who were summarily executed by police officers.
As has become the norm, the police officers claimed that the men had shot at them and were killed in the shoot-out that followed .
The claim was even supported by the Police Commissioner Gary Griffith. even though the autopsies had shown tat the men were shot in their chest at close range.
People are saying that the IATF police killers are today walking freely; some have even gotten promotion and hefty salary increases and while all this is taking place not a word has come from the Police Social and Welfare Association nor from anyone in law enforcement.
In the meantime the state – the taxpayers – is $4m poorer and all the PCA can say is that the incident was thoroughly probed and, on August 5, 2020, the PCA wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard recommending that the officers be charged with murder.
Yeah right!
