Chamber head: Urgent action needed to rebuild public trust in police

Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Kiran Maharaj believes while action is needed to combat people parading as police to perpetrate crimes, urgent action is also required to restore the public's confidence and trust in the service.

In a phone interview with Newsday, Maharaj described recent incidents as "beyond worrying."

"This is striking fear into the hearts of citizens, where the trust we have in the police service who are supposed to protect us and the country is being totally eroded."

She believes the police should implement and educate the public on protocols they should follow to help verify if an officer really is who they say he is.

"It may be that protocols (need to)be issued by the TTPS to say, 'If a police officer comes to you, here's what you do: You do not go with them unless you ask for their badge, unless you are able to make a call to this designated number to verify that they are in fact there for the purpose they state.'

"It may mean that you want to have transparency down to the vehicles...where you can just type in the number and see if it really is listed under the police services or not.

"I don't know, those are things I am rattling off the top of my head. But what I am saying is that what we need to have now is a degree of transparency so that the public feels a little more secure and that some protocols are issued so citizens' rights are also maintained in all of this."

She believes measures to rebuild trust should have been deployed immediately after the first of several kidnappings two weeks ago.

Cunupia car dealer Sachel Kungebeharry was kidnapped in Chaguanas on September 25 by three men dressed in what appeared to be police tactical wear driving a marked police vehicle. He was found dead just over a week later.

Two Central Division officers were arrested and charged with kidnapping for ransom, murder and misbehaviour in public office.

Over the weekend, Cunupia businessman Suvesh “Cooksie” Ramnarine was abducted from Robs Bar in Cunupia by five men in police tactical wear.

Maharaj said this phenomenon is only adding to the hurt inflicted on the economy by crime.

"You're talking about a country where we want to diversify. We have been trying, as a chamber, to encourage reinvestment into our country but this is shaking the confidence levels in the business community as well, so we need to address it quickly."

She added: "Crime is eroding all of our opportunities, too."

She called on the Ministry of National Security and the Commissioner of Police to inform the chamber and the public how they plan to deal with the phenomenon.

"It is urgent. We went through a phase previously in TT where there were a spate of kidnappings, and there should not be a repeat of this at this time. There should have been measures to mitigate this kind of risk, and this opportunity that is being abused."

She said the chamber stands ready to offer support in any way it can in fighting crime.

Head of the Tobago Chamber and former Police Service Commission (PSC) member Martin George slammed the PSC for its silence on these matters and called for decisive action to treat with rogue officers.

"We have heard nothing from the PSC in the face of all of this. They continue to remain numb and dumb and they have absolutely nothing (to say) to account to the public in terms of their management of the hierarchy of the police service, in terms of their performance of their duties or lack thereof.

"Where are their assessments? The studies? The measurements? The measurable indicia to show that look, you are actually assessing these officers and saying, 'Well, look, you have fallen short here, you need to improve here,' or, 'You have done well here?'

"Where are those results? What is the PSC doing in this regard?

"You have the power to appoint and you also have the power to disappoint. Don't they understand that?

"The nation is falling apart. We are in a state of chaos and crisis and yet still, you are seeing nothing effectively being done to restore the public's confidence in the TTPS."