Congratulations to each and every police officer who participated in the massive road block exercise last Monday which they described as "total policing." You embarrassed yourselves and alienated every good person who could back you up in your struggle for higher wages, but you did prove that you understand "total policing."
Just think what you could do if you decided to really work together and get out there and solve crimes with your total policing. I have never seen a roadblock like the one you staged last Monday when you were supposedly hunting down criminals. We didn't see a roadblock like that when Dana Seetahal's killers were on the loose, but if it suits your selfish purposes you can put aside your motto to protect and serve and harass good, innocent people–not to mention school children who couldn't get to their classes.
Congratulations, police officers, you did a lot on Monday to whip up a sense of disgust and hatred for the police from a whole new generation of Trinidadians. That would be all of those children stuck in traffic if I need to spell it out for you. Somehow you refuse to understand that you don't do a single thing to gain the respect of most law-abiding citizens of this country.
If your purpose was just to get attention, you certainly got it, but you got it like a child who misbehaves in school because he doesn't know how to express himself effectively. That child misbehaves to cover his lack of understanding. He covers his flaws because he struggles in school and can't get the passes he needs. He misbehaves in school because he can't figure out an effective way to communicate that he's having problems learning. Is this hitting home?
You created chaos up and down this country, and your sorry actions got international attention with an Associated Press (AP) story on the Internet. You embarrassed yourselves–and this country–on an international level.Congratulations for proving just how little you care about the good people of this country who are trying to make an honest living or just how little you care about children who are trying to do the right thing and go to school.
You have even created a situation for me to criticise Inspector Roger Alexander, the one police officer that I have always spoken highly of. With all due respect, Inspector Alexander, if I am supposed to believe that this was a demonstration to show the police as "hard workers" I can only say that I seriously doubt that any criminals get up in the morning to join rush hour traffic.
What is even worse is seeing the executive members of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) lined up on Tuesday, March 24, to apologise and disassociate themselves from the actions of the police officers who participated in the road blocks. They looked and acted like they were clueless about what was going on, and that is downright scary.
We know that police officers seem to be doing whatever they want to do, taking reports if they feel to, harassing good citizens if they want, not coming to court if they don't want to. By the way, why can't the police executive address the issue of police officers not coming to court?
Last Monday's "total policing" proved that police officers need to get some more education so they can tell when someone is leading them down a false road with rhetoric that does not advance their cause. It is insulting to everyone–including the police–to call nationwide roadblocks "total policing." The police service looked like a set of fools when they called a day of industrial action "rest and reflection."
I can understand that police officers want more pay. We all would like more pay. What police officers really need to do is concentrate on convincing the public that they earn the pay they receive. And they definitely need more education.
I don't even have a report card that can grade them any more because police officers in this country are off the scale for the rubric that measures poor. Get your act together and stop acting like a bunch of clueless fools or spoiled school children. It doesn't do your case any good. Your actions are hurting your cause.
And by the way, ask the police what was going on last Tuesday, the day after their "total policing." All seemed quiet in Port-of-Spain, right? Ask them how many prisoners they escorted to court on last Tuesday.