Some police officers not taking good care of vehicles – PM

A former investigator in the police force was disciplined after he claimed he could not respond to a matter, as there was no transportation.{{more}}

On Tuesday, when answering a question in Parliament posed by Senator Linton Lewis, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said the former Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer was placed on beat and patrol after failing to respond to a matter in a timely manner.

“The other day, there’s a police officer who left his daughter at the Girls’ High School, 7: 30 in the morning. Somebody exposed themselves to her. That police officer called the CID. The person at the CID told them they can’t come because they don’t have a transport. All he had to do is walk five minutes from CID to reach up at the Girls’ High School,” Gonsalves said.

Lewis had asked Gonsalves if there were plans to acquire more vehicles for use by the police at the Calliaqua Police Station, and if so, when.

The Prime Minister stated that since 2001, the Government has been acquiring a significant amount of quality vehicles for the police department.

“In fact, as recently as this month, we have purchased three top of the line Toyota pick-up trucks and a utility vehicle. They were all purchased at the cost of $400,000 for the police department,” he said.

Gonsalves explained that while there will never be vehicles for every police officer in a police station, there is a significant number available per service area so that vehicles can be made available, anytime they are needed.

“The truth about the matter is this: the practice has grown up among some policemen that they treat the matter as though…if you call them, some of them, first thing they tell you is that they don’t have any transport,” the Prime Minister said.

“We’re never going to have vehicles for every single person who is at the police station”.

Additionally, the Prime Minister stressed that all policemen should be able to drive.

However, Gonsalves noted that a trend has developed where police officers, as well as persons in the public service, tend to not take care of government vehicles.

“Some the policemen take care of them and some don’t. You see it on the road. You have a man who would drive government vehicles, driving it as though it is a bulldozer, but his personal vehicle he takes great care with it,” he said.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that provisions were made in the budget to purchase vehicles; however, it will be done on an ongoing basis.(BK)