Junkyard disgrace at police stations

THE EDITOR: It is high time that the authorities take a serious look at the unsightly and frankly shameful problem plaguing several of our police stations across the country – the build-up of derelict vehicles abandoned outside their precincts.

What was once assumed to be a temporary holding area for accident investigations has instead become a long-term junkyard, visible to all and ignored by those with the power to act.

Take a drive past the police stations in St Margarets, San Fernando, or Marabella and the evidence speaks for itself. Rusted, battered vehicles line the roadways, in some cases occupying valuable public space for years.

Outside the Marabella station in particular, some of these vehicles have been left to rot for so long that you can’t even tell what colour they originally were. These are not only visual blights on our landscape, but they pose real and present dangers to public health and safety.

We live in a tropical climate, which means rain and heat breed the perfect conditions for vermin, mosquitoes, and other pests. Abandoned vehicles, with stagnant water pooling in crevices and debris piling up in and around them, become ideal breeding grounds for rodents and disease-carrying insects. These are not just eyesores – they are environmental hazards.

Furthermore, these vehicles impede the flow of traffic and compromise pedestrian safety. In locations where space is already limited, having derelict shells encroach onto pavements and roadways creates dangerous bottlenecks and forces pedestrians, including schoolchildren and the elderly, to walk on the road. This is unacceptable.

It is understood that some of these vehicles may be linked to ongoing investigations – often the aftermath of accidents, and in tragic cases, fatalities. There is a need for evidence collection and due process, yes, but does this process really require these wrecks to remain in place for years?

If so, what does that say about the efficiency and functionality of our evidence management systems?

The prolonged presence of these vehicles suggests a deeper systemic issue. Either our mechanisms for processing accident evidence are grossly inefficient, or there exists a troubling level of administrative apathy. Neither is acceptable.

Let me be clear, this is a matter that falls under the purview of the Minister of Homeland Security, the Commissioner of Police, and possibly even the insurance underwriters who play a role in post-accident processing. The people of TT deserve better than this ongoing neglect. Our police stations should represent law, order, and discipline – not decay and disorder.

It is in the public’s interest that these derelict vehicles be removed without further delay. The relevant authorities must act decisively and implement a transparent and time-bound protocol for the removal, storage, or disposal of these vehicles. Let us restore dignity to the image of our protective services and reclaim the spaces that rightfully belong to the people.
Enough is enough. Clean it up.

ABDON MASON
via e-mail