Q: I read this ridiculous article this morning and I want to know if they can do this?
A: The short answer is yes. They can't go on strike, but a work-to-rule means that they're doing their work, albeit the BARE minimum, which, in my opinion, they already do.
I just cannot fathom why, at a time when the country has no faith in the TTPS, they decide to ask for a pay raise.
The main duties of a Police Officer in Trinidad and Tobago are embedded in Section 45 of the Police Service Act- Chapter 15:01. Out of eight, the two most important duties are that a Police Officer:
(a) Shall preserve the peace and detect crime and other breaches of the law
(h) Shall generally do and perform ALL the duties appertaining to the office of a constable
How many times can we say that the police have fulfilled just these two essential duties?
With a salary in the vicinity of TT $8500 a month for a Constable (the lowest ranked officer), they make more money than many Trinbagonians and don't work as hard. There are many instances where officers don't show up when called, arrive late, give the excuse of no cars or no officers, ridicule people who go in to make complaints, abuse their power by assaulting the citizens they've sworn to protect and of widespread corruption.
This article on 20/08/2010 highlights the incompetence of our Police Service, yet they want tax payers to pay them more for less? The only places we go and pay more for less is at very fancy restaurants and that's because the service is usually top class.
The UK police made similar threats in 2006 and 2008, but the fact that they are committed to their duties, the threats never materialised. However, they ultimately received a pay raise of approximately £500 a year.
A Police Officer in Trinidad and Tobago don't work for 8500.00 a month sir/ma'am you need too get the facts straight... and further we are the lowest paid unlike you who don't have too worry...
ReplyDeleteMy initial response to you would be very condescending, so to avoid going down that road, I would simply say; "thanks for dropping by and commenting".
Deletemy question to you is, can a police officer dressed in their uniform enter a commercial building and snoop around without the owners consent?
ReplyDeleteOf course not!
DeleteThat can happen if there is reasonable belief, based on the owner's actions, that he/she is concealing something illegal, but he must give a reason
OR
if there is a warrant.
most police do not understand the term(probable cause) it mean that there must be clear evidence that there is some form of criminal activity going on.
ReplyDeletePolice cannot search without your permission, unless there is some obvious criminal activity. The illiterate TTPS members don't know the law, and because the citizens don't know either, they get away with it.
Deletewhether or not its $8000 or $8500- they do not do such a good job at uplifting the laws of the land.
ReplyDeletecan a police officer out of uniform come to where you live ask about your husbands whereabouts albeit very rudely too and don't give a reason why they want to know except that someone made areport and it was between that person and the said officer.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't even open the door.
Deletei recently got searched, i saw you mentioned that police cannot search without permission of obvious criminal activity, they said i was loitering. could someone get imprisoned for such??
ReplyDeleteDana Seetahal covered this in great detail here:
Deletehttp://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/When-liming-is-not-loitering-204945751.html
What are your rights of a citizen against an officer's questioning without given reason? Can't you simply say i have the right to remain silent or something else?
ReplyDeleteJust don't respond.
Deleteyou are till us about all the rights that we have as people but when we express them we are still being beaten, lock up or charge clearly you all don't train police officers your rights y should a police off use bad words @ anyone and u cant use back @ them just one Eg. how are we to report any crime to officer that don't respect us let me make it clear i do have rights of freedom of expression
ReplyDeleteif I am driving and it have a road block and the police tells me they want to search my car and I say do u have a search warrant and the say they don't need one and I refuse what would happen
ReplyDeleteThey can't search without a warrant unless there are reasonable grounds that something illegal will be found. (e.g., smelling marijuana, would give them the right to search)
DeleteSection 29 of the firearms act chaper 16:01 gives the police the authority search a vehicle and its occupants without a warrant
Deletewhat are the laws on car searches without a warrant
ReplyDeleteCan police enter my premises and house without a warrant, because they have been doing so on five occasions. Is that not harassment? Can I make a complain?
ReplyDeleteOf course.
Deletehttp://www.pca.org.tt/
can a police stop and search my vehicle with out a search warrant
ReplyDeletehttp://trinidadandtobagolegalrights.blogspot.com/2014/09/trinidad-and-tobago-police-search-powers.html
DeleteIf one lives in the east home was visited with a search warrrant which didnt have a name untill we give one was after search and came up empty handed by officers who said they came from POS police department and nomore than 39mins later was visited by officers from S/Grande department with the same search warrant only to fine a 17 and 16 year old home which they arrested along with there older sister who dont live there but showed up before they left and was charged for posession of 9.9 grams of marijuana and one round of 16 gauge ammo did no jail time but attended court for over 3years before being dismiss from the case only because there was no file or apparance by any officers at the court for the entire 3 years plus.my question is how can one get justice for lossing there mom who died from a spinal injury after sleeping on office chairs or justice for the kids which was arrest the day before there first cxc exam how can one get justice ?
ReplyDeleteCan't in these circumstances.
DeleteWhat does a Police Stop and Search mean? Does this record have any implications?
ReplyDeleteNot unless you were charged.
DeleteIt had a time I felt I was going to be Rob .so I stop a police vehicle an told them .my cry for help went unanswered.not knowing 45 mins later I was assaulted an Rob . complain to pca an they told me wait 3months before anyone can investigate what leagle rites I have here what can I do if I did die no one wud of knew what had happened.
ReplyDeleteIs it legal or good police work to interrogate a passenger in the front seat during a routine road exercise. All documents was produced, the car was thoroughly looked at, no complain from the officer there, but continued to ask the front seat passenger, his name, correct address in an offensive tone , then continued in an even harsher tone to state, give him exact address like a LP# or house #. Then when given , the officer just stares at the person for 2 minutes in this aggressive manner then gives back out documents . No one was drinking or did not even search the vehicle , seat belts were also on.
ReplyDeletewhen can a police officer take your identification and address??
ReplyDeleteCan you curse police. In America you can curse police as it is your right to freedom of speech, is there a law of such in Trinidad and Tobago?
ReplyDeletehttp://trinidadandtobagolegalrights.blogspot.com/2011/03/obscene-languageprofanity-laws.html
DeleteIf a police study keep searching and harassing you in public and you ain't doing nothing illegal,, what are your rights?
ReplyDeleteWhat's "study keep"?
DeleteWhy're they searching you? Can you prove any of these stops?