JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

CoP tells Burke to report errant officers

by

Rhondor Dowlat
2331 days ago
20190218
Cedric “Burkie” Burke.

Cedric “Burkie” Burke.

Com­mis­sion­er of Po­lice (CoP) Gary Grif­fith has re­mind­ed cit­i­zens that there are mech­a­nisms in place to seek re­dress should any mem­ber of the pub­lic feel ag­griev­ed by the ac­tions of mem­bers of the Po­lice Ser­vice.

Grif­fith made the state­ment on the heels of al­le­ga­tions made by Sea Lots com­mu­ni­ty leader Cedric “Burkie” Burke about the con­duct of of­fi­cers dur­ing a raid.

In a Guardian Me­dia ar­ti­cle yes­ter­day, Burke ap­pealed to po­lice of­fi­cers to re­spect women’s pri­va­cy, as he claimed of­fi­cers act­ed in­ap­pro­pri­ate­ly to his daugh­ters dur­ing raids at his two homes last Fri­day. Burke claimed that his four teenage daugh­ters plead­ed with the male of­fi­cers who en­tered their rooms to al­low them to get prop­er­ly dressed be­fore they car­ried out their search­es. How­ev­er, Burke al­leged the of­fi­cers re­fused and the girls were left ex­posed. Burke said the in­ci­dent had left his daugh­ters trau­ma­tised.

Yes­ter­day, Grif­fith said he has not seen a po­lice re­port on al­le­ga­tions made by Burke. He al­so ad­vised that “whilst it is the en­shrined right for all cit­i­zens to seek re­dress, it is al­so the en­shrined right for all cit­i­zens to en­joy their fun­da­men­tal rights of safe­ty and se­cu­ri­ty.”

“Since my in­cep­tion as CoP, I have nev­er shirked my re­spon­si­bil­i­ty to en­sure any er­rant of­fi­cer brought to my at­ten­tion is in­ves­ti­gat­ed with the ap­pro­pri­ate ac­tion tak­en. Like­wise, it is the du­ty of the men and women of the TTPS to act in the ap­pro­pri­ate man­ner to stymie the on­slaught of gang-re­lat­ed vi­o­lence. Any­one who may feel ag­griev­ed by this has the right to seek re­dress through the ap­pro­pri­ate chan­nels,” Grif­fith said.

Grif­fith said while he con­tin­ues to treat with all re­port­ed mat­ters of al­leged abuse, he im­plores all stake­hold­ers to al­so ap­pre­ci­ate the lives and ac­counts of those di­rect­ly im­pact­ed by the spate of crime and the men and women of the TTPS who present them­selves each day to treat with same.

The Po­lice Com­plaints Au­thor­i­ty would be the body to in­ves­ti­gate such a claim if Burke even­tu­al­ly de­cides to file such a com­plaint.


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored

Today's
Guardian

Publications

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

KERWIN PIERRE

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

A model in a costume from The Lost Tribe’s 2026 presentation Island Circus

KERWIN PIERRE

Ringmasters of the Road: Crowds flock to Tribe’s circus-themed band launch

21 hours ago
Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Students, principal and staff of St David’s RC Primary, along with the UWTT and Scotiabank Foundation teams at the handover of steelpans at the school.

Scotiabank Foundation, United Way donate steelpans

21 hours ago
The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

Jaggasar returns as National Parang president

Yesterday
Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Jamaican Maroons celebrate, question land rights

Yesterday