These cases go far back. In March 2009, a prisons officer with 27 years' service faced a Port-of-Spain magistrate on a charge of marijuana possession, more than 500 grammes worth, for the purpose of trafficking.
The arrest of 12 police officers in connection with an allegation of the abuse in custody of 22-year-old Ralph Lewis, of Sangre Grande, is more unwelcomed news for a police service that has been in the headlines recently–too much, and for all the wrong reasons. The officers are alleged to have beaten Lewis and doused him with hot water, causing him to suffer burns to his private parts.
Mr Lewis further claims that he was offered bribes of as much as $150,000 to keep quiet. The accused officers have yet to defend themselves against the charges, and must be presumed innocent until a court finds them guilty, or clears them of the charges.
However, stories of police officers in trouble with the law continue to emerge with disturbing frequency. Three weeks ago, two police officers were charged with sexual assault and bribery in the case of a woman whom they had detained in a roadblock. Days later a Special Reserve Policeman appeared in court on a charge of raping a minor. To add to this, the Police Social and Welfare Association which represents junior officers has apologised to the public for what it described as the "inappropriate behaviour" of some of its officers.
These cases go far back. In March 2009, a prisons officer with 27 years' service faced a Port-of-Spain magistrate on a charge of marijuana possession, more than 500 grammes worth, for the purpose of trafficking.
In July 2012, two officers were arrested by agents of the Inter-Agency Task Force in relation to soliciting bribes from Guyanese nationals to overlook breaches of the immigration law. Two others were charged in that same month with attempting to pervert the course of public justice by issuing fraudulent search warrants. In January 2013, a woman police corporal was arrested after officers raided her Chaguanas home and found 1.5 kilos of high-grade marijuana.
In July 2014, five officers were accused of dousing 18-year-old Jameson John with an inflammable liquid before setting him afire at the Princes Town Police Station. That an acting inspector is among the 12 officers arrested on Monday only underlines the severity of the crime that was alleged to have taken place at the Sangre Grande Police Station in February.
Soon after Gillian Lucky was appointed director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), she was able to announce by early January 2011, mere weeks after she took up the job, that the authority had taken in 68 complaints against police officers by members of the public. By May 2013, after she had been in the job for two years, Ms Lucky made it clear that the authority needed the same investigative powers as the police to get the job done effectively.
"We need the powers, the immunities, the authorities and privileges of the police," the then PCA head advised the Government. In June 2014, Ms Lucky lamented the refusal of the police to comply with PCA directives for assistance in reviewing suspected cases of fatal police shootings.
It was a matter that the incoming PCA director announced as one of his first objectives on his appointment in November 2014.
It cannot help that the current acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams has been in that non-substantive position since August 2012, with five extensions of his acting appointment. The Police Service Commission should start the process of either confirming his permanent appointment, or appointing someone else to the position permanently. The sense of managerial drift should not be allowed to continue.
This is an important step in addressing the issue of the erosion of the public's trust in the police service. The majority of policemen and women are hard working and keep the T&T public safe. But there's work to be done rebuilding the service's image.