Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
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I regret to announce that two nights ago, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service died. Their death was not for lack of amenities. It died when its last remaining scraps of dignity were traded for the machetes of the Tonton Macoute and the pistols of the SS. Its death was caused invariably by its very own irrelevance. I’m sure much more tragic ways to die, but sadder ones don’t exist.
It used to be a noble force that actually aided the citizens. Now it has been overrun by a gang of bullies. What is this police service that we have?
How is it that we have a Police Service that is comprised and headed by complete cowards - cowards in bullies’ clothing? Have you ever met a bully? Bullies are notorious for seeking and preying on the weak. Externally they exude toughness, but inside they are frightened children. They will never attack the strong or the powerful but seek draw their strength from taking it from others. For years citizens have spoken out against police brutality and I have to say that this is what police brutality grows up to be.
I have never seen anything more cowardly than what our police service, the Trinidad and Tobago Police service did on Wednesday night.
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| Commissioner Trevor Paul |
Yesterday was National Shutdown day. Prior to this IBN owner Inshan Ishmael passed around flyers to draw attention to the action. The day before the planned action our of a Commissioner comes on the television to say that anyone preventing another person from moving freely will be dealt with according to the law(or some other out-of-timing, out-of-the-blue statement like that). Just as a point of order, who said anything about preventing anyone from doing anything? If Mr. Trevor Paul had read the flyer instead of depending on word of mouth (he can read right?) he would have seen that this was a peaceful stay-at-home protest. There was nothing in the flyer or e-mail to suggest otherwise. I guess though that those desirous of media attention and those who love the show of authority and force will do what they will. You can see the flyer on Taran Rampersad’s blog here.
Last night like a gang of kidnappers, the Gestapo and the Tonton Macoute all rolled into one, four carloads of plainclothes officer descend on Inshan Ishmael’s house to apprehend him. They swooped down on his house and from the sidewalk where he’s standing, they bundle him into the car and whisk him away without ever announcing they were police officers.
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| The Schutzstaffel |
The lawyers had a hard time getting any information as to why Mr. Ishmael was detained. Some officers were saying that Inshan was going to be charged in accordance with the anti-terrorism act. What terrorism you ask? When you find out let me know. Eventually Mr. Ishmael was strip searched and then charged with (get this) not putting the name of the printer on his flyers. He was subsequently released.
Where do the police in Trinidad suddenly get this abundance of manpower and vehicles they can’t seem to allocate when a gunman is kicking down your door? Pauline Lumfai called the Couva Police Station to say her son Sean Luke was missing. Did they even send one car to help her look?
How is it in this country you can’t get an officer to come to your house if you’re in mortal danger yet they easily locate five carloads of officers to go arrest the negligent flyer man?
There is something very obscene about that. The bullying exhibited by the TTPS is even more glaring when one juxtaposes how soft a target Mr. Ishmael is with how enthusiastically the police pursued him. Is that the focus of the Police Service to go after sitting ducks? To spend the most amount of resources on Trinidad’s least wanted?
A man speaks out against crime and the government and has his IBN show pulled by Columbus over “questionable content” (by the way this is the same cable company that sells us what Sprangalang calls “the slack channel” and the same company that steals HBO, Cinemax and Showtime). He is arrested for no putting the name of the publisher on his flyer. How can we not think this is political victimization taking form?
The obvious question is why aren’t the killer, rapists, bombers and drug dealers sought with the same gusto that Mr. Paul used on Mr. Ishmael? When you consider that this is the same man who has taken such bold, authoritative stands against protesters, the Chief Justice and babies, his modus operandi is no mystery.
How in the world can Trevor Paul and the TTPS remain relevant in light of all of this? I find it hard to believe. I have no regret in saying I think he should resign at once; if not for his irrelevance then for his cowardice.
20 Responses to “Trinidad and Tobago Police Service”
By BMOB on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
Mani well written, you should send it to the newspapers in the opinion section.
Sick to my stomach of our so call “Law proctectors” the people who needs to be arrested are walking around free to rape, kidnap, shoot, murder, and torture us daily.
Are you telling me that you cannot stand up for justice in Trinidad? Are we becoming a communsist country? A man is fighting for his saftey, his family saftey, our safety and you arrest him for anti-terroism. Do they know the meaning of anti-terroism?
How much of this garbage must we as citizens take? We are afraid to testify in court because of the gang lords. We are afraid to speak out because our government will come to our house and arrest us?
By boysieringo on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
I don’t think this speaks as much to communism as it does to Bush-politics. You’ve said it all Mani. The same Commissioner who declared war on criminals uses his forces in this obscene manner. Also Mr. Valley’s downplaying of the event by not being able to call Ishmael’s real name, was also a blow to citizens wanting a reduction in crime by non-violent means.
By Dre on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
week = weak
3rd paragraph, 3rd line
By TriniOne on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
The TTPS has been irrelevant a very long time now.
Do your own survey - over 70% of adults do not know what the Commissioner of Police name is!
After Burroughs and “Toothless Bulldog” Bernard not one of them has been effectively relevant in combating the crime situation. They have all been placed their based on seniority and the expactation that they would be retiring in a year or two anyway!
A few years ago my vehicle was stolen. I immediately reported it to the nearset police station. I spent more than an hour answering questions for them to put in their ‘database’. The only two questions they did not ask me was my blood type and if my piss was yellow or clear white that morning! NEVER ONE CALL ABOUT MY CAR IN 5 YEARS! But, my hair and eye color, and my body type and weight is taking up space on a hard drive somewhere that gatthering dust!
The TTPS is effectively ineffective. They are great at showing a strength of force when it is not needed. They are great at landing a helicopter at the scene of a bombing! I was there and saw these people make their grand entrance and blowing away something called ‘EVIDENCE’.
Now, there are many good officers - they are just caught up in a system that is as old and outdated as the laws and punishments they are sworn to uphold.
TriniOne
By law on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
Mani, you hit the nail on the head. I am sorry for the language, but I am so angry and outraged over the f…….ery that is taking place in Trini. People are beginning to feel a sense of hopelessness and lawlessness in Trinidad at this point. It seems as though the dam criminals are running the show. The manpower that it took to arrest this man, why could they not take that same manpower to earnestly seek out the criminals. People have had enough. You have hard-working, decent people striving to build a better life and some low-life wants to come and take away everything you have worked for just like that. People are saying enough is enough. More business owners and the ordinary citizens need to stand up and do the same thing. Shut down stores, banks, and other institutions and I bet you things will start to change. Or maybe if a high ranking politician is killed or injured maybe then the relevant authorities will take notice. Well actually no, I don’t think they ever got to the bottom of who killed Selwyn Richardson or was that covered up too. People are just fed up. About a month ago, thieves tried to rob my uncle in his house in the wee hours of the morning. He was shot a couple of times but managed to survive. Names were called but up to now, nothing. We have a blind eye in the sky that cyar see a dam thing. The situation is frustrating.
By Mani on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
bmob, I was so livid last night I couldn’t think straight enough to write this, so I understand what u mean.
Who is guarding the guards?
boysieringo, I think Bush politics would be a compliment actually. Valley? Talk bout people nah. Inshan Ishmael is a well known figure in Trinidad, I can’t believe that Valley won’t know his name.
Thanks for the heads up dre.
TriniOne boy, they ineffectual, they outdated….the list goes on. However, since most people’s morning stream is usually yellow, I wouldn’t deride the goodly officer too much for not asking.
Law girl, as I told bmob, I was livid last night. This whole experience has been maddening. I’m glad that your uncle is ok though.
By Taran Rampersad on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
Yes.
Thats all I can say.
By BMOM on Jan 26, 2007 | Reply
I just read the Expres and what a joke this was…Valley is a joke, Manning is a joke, Trevor is a joke, the whole PNM party and PNM supporters are jokes.
Our country is rotting because of these infested disease carrying politians.
I am going to call Mr. Ishmael and pledge my support to him and hell might even encourging him to form a damn party and run for PM.
By Guanaguanare on Jan 28, 2007 | Reply
Well said!! The other day when Shurland Jackson, a patient at the San Fernando General Hospital jumped to his death, according to the Trinidad Express report, the police took an hour to cover a distance of 150 yards before they could arrive at the scene. So we get it that police vehicles are reserved for special jaunts like the arrest of Mr. Ishmael, but what’s up with their legs?
By Mani on Jan 30, 2007 | Reply
Taran thanks, there’s so much more I want to say.
bmom, lol. Well bmom, Inshan is a firm supporter of Winston Dookeran so I think you might have some trouble convincing him to stick it out on hiw own. By the way, are you the same person as bmob?
guanaguanare, It’s funny how the Police can pick and choose what they will respond to and who they’ll arrest. When they planning to arrest Larry Achong for cussing the people dem?
By lime on Feb 1, 2007 | Reply
this is especially shameful as you said, given the way the violence nd abductions are all but ignored. i grieve for trinidad.
By Anonymous on Feb 3, 2007 | Reply
If we adopt Latin American policies we must start looking like our neighbours to the south. We owe $1,000 US Million dollars
Check it out
http://www.iadb.org/countries/home.cfm?id_country=TT&Language=English
That’s $15,000 TT for every adult.
Do you have $15,000 to spare?
Lucha por una vida con dignidad
By Mani on Feb 9, 2007 | Reply
Lime gyul, we all do everyday. This was a perversion of justice.
Anon, thanks for the link.
By Jumbie on Mar 8, 2007 | Reply
Well said Mani. We have exchanged some emails before, never fear.
However, as a student, and a pretty young one too (I have some years on you my friend) you may not know a couple of things I am about to tell you.
A few years ago I was a civil servant and openly being victimised by a higher ranking individual. In an effort to ascertain my rights I obtained a copy of the Public Service Regulations (or was it the Civil Service Regulations?). Anyway, this included a copy of the regulations covering the police service.
Do you know that the requirement to be a police officer was 3 ‘O’ levels? Yeah boy. So now we have people in the police force who can’t qualify for a job elsewhere, not even in a store, expected to learn big big thing like the law, and how and when to charge people. some of them can’t even read, write or spell properly, and yet they have to learn in 6 months training only all these charges and offenses etc.
Even sadder than that, now the ones who get in long long time ago have risen through the ranks, and still can’t read, write or spell, but now they so hard backed in their attitudes too, they can’t even talk to people in a considerate fashion.
And you wonder how come they so ineffective? Boy, it is only because they taking people who fail in the education system, the dunceys, and putting them to be police!
By Anonymous on May 13, 2007 | Reply
I would like some of you who are speaking so ill of our country’s police officers to go for one 13 hour tour of duty and be exposed to the conditions that the police officers have to work under, and to have to deal with some of the illiterate behaviour that some of our better educated citizens display when coming to a station and then lets see how many stones any of you would bother cast at the few officers who genuinely try to assist the general public with thier problems. I am not saying that there are not officers who abuse their authority but there are some who genuinely try so why not give them some credit too?
By Sharmila Singh on Jan 6, 2008 | Reply
hi inshan. you’re doing a fantastic job and keep it up. you have the support of my family members and i all the time. i think that we need more people like you in this country to stand up for your rights and the rights of the citizens of this country. anyway, keep up the great job and don’t give up. I’ll always support you.
By Tracey g on Feb 1, 2008 | Reply
Don’t disrespect! I Love the TTPS and i hope to join one day! gr8 jobs ppl…
By jess on Mar 7, 2008 | Reply
i would like to say that Trinidad’s police service are a pack of cowards who use their uniform to feel big about themselves. Why is it that they can stop innocent drivers and make them pull off their car tints but they cant do ANYTHING to eradicate the crime in our country? You damn idiots! you fools! you cowards!
By Sharmila on May 10, 2008 | Reply
Just recently, my uncle went missing. That is Mr. Brian Lalla, the ex-policeman who went missing without a single trace on February 12th, 2008. He has not yet been found. When we went on several searches for my uncle, we called for police accompaniment. Many times we did that . Every time we asked for their accompaniment, their reply was either they had no vehicles, or they were shrt staff. Is it that they had no vehicles because some of the officers who were on duty at that time took the police vehicles and went on their own errands, or even by the various bars? Is it that they were short staff because the officers who were on duty that day went on their own business or they were rum sick from the night before, seeing that all most police officers are good for is to consume alcohol? They were never there to lend their support to my family. Everything that we did, we did it ourselves and also with the kind and courteous assistance of Mr. Inshan Ishmael. I’m really fed up now. Sonething definitely has to be done. People who have not been affected by crime would not know how it feels. They would not find it necessary to stand up. But when it comes knocking on their doors, it’s only then they would realize that they should have stood up.
By Conecerned on Oct 12, 2008 | Reply
Dear Mani,
I understand your concern and your reason for writing this article but you fail to realise that it is not the “Trinidad and Tobago Police Service that should be blamed but the PNM who are the ones insighting certain officers to use their power to keep the voice of a people done.
There are hundreds of Police Officers who are on our side and then there is the elite group who is “taken care” of by the party in power so they have nothing to be afraid of, they are ordered by the Prime Minister and his Ministers.