25 traffic cops honoured for service

Twenty-five officers from the police Traffic and Highway Patrol Unit received commendation for their service on Thursday as senior officers urged them to continue working towards securing TT's roads.

Speaking at an award ceremony at the unit's headquarters off Don Miguel Extension, El Socorro, Snr Supt Wayne Mystar praised the officers for their efforts in not only tackling traffic offences but also in the seizure of drugs and weapons during road checks.

He noted for the first quarter of 2021 which includes the months January, February and March, there was a 39 per cent decrease in road fatalities and credited the drop in deaths to the work of the unit.

Mystar said outside of reducing the possibilities of accidents, members of the unit, particularly the Road Policing Task Force were effective in finding and seizing six guns for the year thus far.

"Those officers were given letters of commendation for that exercise.

"The majority of those people came from the Road Policing Task Force because their mandate, they participate in road block exercises but they also have a "roving" mandate when they move around to different parts of the country with stop and search exercises."

Letters of commendation can be written up by either the Snr Supt of a unit or the Commissioner of Police and are placed on the personal file of an officer and can be considered when promoting officers.

Mystar said the police would continue to recognise and reward the good work of police officers and was confident the ceremony would boost morale.

The officers honoured came from the five units of the unit which includes Debe, Cumuto, Freeport, Aranguez and the Road Policing Task Force.

For the first quarter of 2021 9,843 tickets have been issued, compared to 3,206 for the same period last year.

Sixty-six people have also been arrested and charged compared to 21 for the same period.