The head of the Police Social and Welfare Association (TTPSSWA), ASP Gideon Dickson, is calling on the Ministry of National Security to provide more resources and support for the Police Service.
ASP Dickson says the TTPS Social and Welfare Association firmly supports the use of body cameras by police officers.
He asserts, however, that while the criminal justice system must play its role, there is a need to incorporate newer crime fighting technologies such as facial recognition and ballistics testing.
According to the police union boss, there are immediate steps that can be taken to improve officers' morale. Among them he highlights the reviewing and re-working of the system used for promoting police officers.
He also points to increasing the number of active duty police officers, which he says can be done by absorbing the current Special Reserve Officers—who already have the requisite on-the-job experience—into the main Police Service.
“It makes no sense you continue to demand more of the police, and you are not prepared to put your money where your mouth is,” ASP Dickson said. “It starts with resourcing us with the items of technology that are necessary for us to be able to combat crime, from a technological aspect.”
“It is also about ensuring that our 1,400 officers that we are short of, come within the ranks,” he said. “I know efforts have been made to increase the intake.”
Gideon Dickson notes that while there are various community organisations and NGOs that conduct anti-crime initiatives, a combined and co-ordinated approach is necessary to ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness in community engagement initiatives.
“It is high time that all these different institutions come together and have one macro approach, in terms of how we address crime and criminality in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
Meanwhile, Police Service spokesman, ASP (Ag) Rajesh Lal, is urging young men in this country to turn away from crime, noting that many of them feel that is the only way to provide for themselves and their families.
“We need more persons who’ve come out of poverty to show that beacon or that light,” he points out, “because a lot of young people don’t see that light. They feel as though they are failures. They’re watching people and saying, ‘This one got a start in life. That one got a start in life. I grew up in an area that is demoralising’.”
The TTPS spokesman says many young men facing the courts are remorseful and feel guilty about their life of crime. He believes more must be done to provide them with positive role models and he issued a call to civil society to help steer young men onto the right path.
Both ASP Gideon Dickson and ASP (Ag) Rajesh Lal were guests on today’s edition of CNC3’s The Morning Brew show.