City cops want better working conditions

CITY POLICE yesterday worked on the pavement in front of the mayor’s office on Knox Street, Port of Spain, owing to what they say are inhumane working conditions inside the building.

Speaking to Newsday, Cpl Anthony Dattoo called on Port of Spain City Corporation CEO Annette Stapleton-Seaforth to address the issues affecting the police.

He said they have made several complaints over the past years but to date nothing has been done.

“We have the air-condition unit in the charge room area, that has been down for the longest while. We cannot carry on conversations in the charge room because prisoners are kept in the same area. Our dining area is next to the toilets, which is unhygienic.

“Most importantly there is no fresh air coming into the building, because the air-conditioning unit is not working. “The heat inside the charge room is unbearable because it has no fresh air flowing through the enclosed area. It is very hot and humid inside here and we are forced to carry out our duties, as you can see, outside the establishment.” Dattoo said some officers have complained of “being dehydrated and having bad feelings.”

He said the carbon monoxide from vehicles that park behind the building comes into the dormitory area and that is unhealthy.

“They recently installed an extractor fan, and it is in an enclosed area where no fresh air can come in. It pulls the air out of the toilet area, but not the dormitory area to have fresh air circulating.

“They need to correct the circumstances, because we have been bearing with them for the longest while. Years we have been promised they will fix up the place,”

City CEO Annette Stapleton-Seaforth could not be reached for comment, as all calls to her cell phone went unanswered.