Cops under heavy manners

The Traffic Department of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is now adopting a more subtle approach when dealing with motorists.{{more}}

Traffic officers speaking to motorists are now required to greet each motorist first, with both hands placed behind the back while speaking with the motorist.

In the past, a number of complaints have been made in relation to the manner in which some traffic officers carry out their duties. Some of those complaints include unmannerly behaviour by the officers in the line of duty.

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT this week, head of the Traffic Department, Inspector Kenneth John, said that measures had to be put in place to deal with the number of complaints that were being lodged with his department on a regular basis. He noted that in the past, motorists expressed their displeasure with the officers’ approach, which he said caused a lot of problems.

Since the recent implementation of the “new approach”, John says that there has only been positive feed back from the public and motorists about the police officers’ conduct. “It is really working and I am very happy about it,” John said. Since the implementation of the new approach, a few weeks ago, John noted that there hasn’t been a single complaint to the department about any ill conduct by the traffic cops.

According to John, the only time an officer’s hand should be seen when conversing with a motorist is when the officer has to issue a ticket, write in his pocket book or attempt to make an arrest. So far, John admitted that his officers have fully cooperated with the initiative and are fostering better relationships with the motorists. “There is nothing to complain about now. Their approach is good and my officers are executing their duties to the fullest,” he boasted.

The “new approach” is the brainchild of Commissioner of Police Keith Miller, and John noted that he wanted to drive home the Commissioner’s initiative and make it work for all road users.

On the flipside, once a motorist complains to the department about an officer’s conduct, each side will be given the opportunity to present his or her case in the other’s presence and the matter will be dealt with from there.

The Traffic head urged motorists to be patient with the traffic police and give them the fullest cooperation when needed so as to ensure proper road safety at all times. “The public stands to benefit greatly from this new step taken by the police and we only want to continue our good relationship with motorists all over St Vincent,” John said. (KW)