Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith said he is keen to have the new police headquarters completed since it will be used as a "war room" where police can deal with major crimes and even their response to natural and man-made disasters.
The Commissioner held discussions with a delegation from the National Insurance Property Development Company Limited (NIPDEC) yesterday about the headquarters. The meeting at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain, centred around providing the TTPS with adequate tools and infrastructure, which would, in turn, ensure better service to the people of T&T.
During the discussions, Commissioner Griffit5h keen interest in the start and completion of the new police headquarters building, stating that the TTPS has operated without one for the past 30 years.
He added that the headquarters was critical since unlike many other police services around the world, the TTPS has been operating out of silos, where Special Branch, Cyber Crime, Anti-Kidnapping Unit and other vital strategic units are based in different buildings.
Commissioner Griffith said units scattered throughout the country, not only lead to strategic deficiencies but also financial inefficiencies, given the exorbitant expenditure paid in rent.
He explained that the building would require a heavy investment in Information Technology (IT) to ensure optimum connectivity, as the heads of strategic units like the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB), Multi Operational Police Section (MOPS), Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Special Operations Response Team (SORT), Homicide, and Cyber-Crime Unit will operate from the new headquarters.
Yesterday's discussions between the Commissioner and NIPDEC also focused on acquisition of police vehicles and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for the TTPS.
Announcement of a new headquarters was made during the 2021 budget presentation. The proposed Abattoir Road, Sea Lots, headquarters is estimated to cost close to $300 million.
According to information in the Public Sector Investment Programme 2021 (PSIP) document released by the Ministry of Finance during the budget, the project is being undertaken to save on rental cost in and around Port-of-Spain and to consolidate key operations under one roof.