By Sue-Ann Wayow
EIGHTEEN police officers were charged in 2021 for various criminal offences.
This was stated by Woman Corporal Dane-Marie Marshall from the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) that laid the charges.
She was speaking at a media conference organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) on Friday.
Marshall said, last year, 124 reports were made to the PSB and 14 matters were sent for disciplinary action.
She said, “We had 14 of those matters going to the police complaints division because we would find the matters did not meet the criminal threshold but it facilitated disciplinary action and of course, we have investigations that needed forensic investigatory aspect, and as such had not been completed.”
“In terms of conviction, or going to tribunal, in 2019 there were seven and in 2021 to present 17,” she added.
Other cases required forensic evidence and in some others, the matters were not pursued after being reported because of a lack of evidence.
The PSB established on July 15, 2011 is a class one specialist section of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), and was developed to ensure the organisation was transparent and accountable in all operations and activities to engender public trust and confidence. Presently, it is being led by senior superintendent Suzette Martin and has an actual current strength of 34.
Woman Inspector Leslie Ann Aguilleria-Homer from the TTPS Police Complaints Division said over the last three years, her unit had received over 2,000 reports against police officers.
Already for 2022, there have been 162 reports, she said.
In 2021, there were 776 reports, 976 in 2020 and 1,036 in 2019.
Aguilleria-Homer said, “These numbers show us that the trust with the public is there. They know that they can come in and make these reports. Furthermore, we continue to work with other entities such as the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), which I believe is only furthering our positioning. So, we want people who have been legitimately wronged to come forward, and let their voices be heard, and we assure you it will be taken seriously and looked into.”
Aguilleria-Homer stated that most prevalent of the matters overseen by the tribunals were for neglect of duty, and for undesirable conduct and as of Friday, 119 matters were before such tribunals overseen by the PSB.
And Marshall also reminded citizens that it was a crime to make false reports.
She said, “Under S76 Criminal Law Act 10:04 and it speaks to wasteful employment. Before it carried a sentence of six months but now it carries a sentence of five years and it’s treating with the reporting of false and malicious content… So comprehensive investigations will bring about that part. It concerns where citizens make criminal reports against police officers.”
