Police Proceeding with Light Plane Project- CoP

The police service is going ahead with its light airplane pilot project although a start-up date is yet to be finalised, Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs said yesterday. Gibbs, who returned from London last Friday spoke briefly about the issue. This followed submission of a report to the Attorney General on the light airplane test project which the service has undertaken with T&T Air Support Services Ltd (TTASC). The project is for 12 weeks at a cost of approximately $902,000. The T&T Guardian has confirmed that Gibbs has been asked to add further information to the report to respond to allegations that the cost of renting/leasing the TTASC aircraft was more than the cost of the aircraft. Controversy arose on the issue after the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) questioned the selection process and Government officials distanced themselves from TTASC’s recruitment. National Minister John Sandy said Gibbs, as the police service’s accounting officer, had authority to handle projects under $1million—but should have informed the National Security Council of the project.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) is expected to receive a report from Gibbs on the issue next week and the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) is also probing the issue, following a PNM complaint. PCA chairman Gillian Lucky said yesterday she has determined that the PCA has jurisdiction on the issue. She said the PCA is now determining the remit, and into which of the three basic categories the complaint falls—whether police corruption, serious police misconduct or a criminal offence involving police. Lucky said she will conclude determination by the end of next week. She has also informed PSC chairman, Ramesh Deosaran, that the PCA is probing the issue. Yesterday, steering clear of commenting on that, Gibbs said he had only returned from overseas recently and a start-up date for the light airplane project was not yet finalised since a “few things” still have to be tied up. But he said the police was proceeding with the project .

Gibbs maintained the initiative was “to use a piece of equipment to see if it met the service’s needs in going forward” to deal with crime. “It will be evaluated during the project and if it doesn’t meet our needs or show value, at the end of the pilot project that’ll be the end of it,” Gibbs added. Gibbs also noted that the contract with TTASC “has conditions”. The police service’s September 27, 2011 letter of intent to TTASC also stated that the letter “is in no way a binding agreement between the client (police) and contractor (TTASC) but serves to formally express the Police Commissioner’s approval to engage the pilot project with the contractor.”

Gibbs declined comment on why the police service chose to recruit a company to provide a light airplane which has to be assembled and why the police could not buy a kit and assemble such an airplane itself. TTASC officials last Thursday indicated they were looking to their first week of training with police pilots and prepping for avionic systems. A company officials said, “Why should this company be penalised if we’ve done nothing wrong?” TTASC is using a Zenith CH-750 fixed-wing single engine aircraft. According to FAA registry documents, the registered owner is listed as Concerted Management LLC DBA from Mesa, Arizona. Also listed under “other Owner Names” is an entity known as Sky View Aviation. TTASC was not listed. But a company official yesterday said that was “normal procedure for US registration” and TTASC will be listed in local registration information.

No TTASC for squatter spotting— Moonilal
It was also confirmed from TTASC’s direction that the company, in lobbying for work, sent proposals to various government ministries in offering air services. This included providing an air ambulance from Tobago to Trinidad and services to other ministries. However, Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal yesterday confirmed his ministry has not recruited TTASC to do squatter-spotting. His ministry recently indicated interest in conducting this with light airplanes. Moonilal added: “We’ve signed no contracts with anyone. We’re only examining the feasibility of using such planes to spot squatters and assist with coastal erosion and forestry issues. We received about five proposals, but we haven’t gone further.”

Clauses in the contract between the police service, TTASC :

• Questions relating to execution of the contract should be addressed to deputy CoP Jack Ewatski.

• The project focuses on crime detection/suppression, response to 999 emergency calls, traffic monitoring/control, intelligence surveillance/collection.

• Contractor shall not hold itself out as representing the police service or behave in any way to give this impression.

• Contractor is not to make use of or divulge to third parties any information or documents linked to the contract’s performance. The contractor is bound by this indefinitely and must obtain an undertaking from its staff  to abide by this confidentiality.

• Use of information obtained by the contractor in the course of the contract for purposes other than its performance is forbidden.

• The police service may terminate the contract in circumstances including where the contractor is being wound up, is having affairs administered to by courts and other conditions.

• Request for an interim payment by the contractor shall be admissible after expiration of six weeks of the contract period. The service shall be obligated to satisfy an interim payment of half the contract price.