CoP: Police speed to be monitored

THE SPEED at which police are driving officially marked vehicles is being monitored according to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.

The commissioner confirmed that earlier today after the Vehicle Management Corporation of TT (VMCOTT) handed over the keys to 49 refurbished Nissan X-Trails to the police.

“We will monitor every single vehicle that is GPS tracked,” said Griffith, “That is, emergency response vehicles, many of the patrol vehicles, and we intend to do for all the vehicles within the next fiscal year.”

Griffith said the monitoring system would be to ensure that police are accountable. He explained that GPS-tracked vehicles would be monitored at the Operations Centre and it would be verified through the E999 whether the officers who are seen going above the speed limit are responding to a call. If they are not, they would be held accountable through the Professional Standards Bureau.

“By doing that it would greatly reduce the concerns that were seen before with officers going over the speed limit without being required to do so. This would also assist the public because usually there was that perception years ago where whenever you see a police vehicle going over the speed limit with the siren there is that automatic perception that they were going on some joyride or on something personal.”

CEO of VMCOTT Natasha Prince and chairman of the board Neil Bennett handed over the keys to Griffith and Superintendent of the Transport and Telecom Branch, Kurt Jackson.

VMCOTT officials said the 49 vehicles were part of 53 which were promised to the police.