Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith says he intends to initiate crowd control drills for his officers in the wake of an incident at the University of the West Indies yesterday, in which officers arrested two students during a protest.
Speaking to the T&T Guardian last evening, Griffith said, “I give the public the assurance that the type of drills that you would be seeing will be keeping with the highest international standard.”
The drills, he said, would involve dialogue, negotiation and explanation to individuals, but he pointed out that if those individual fail to obey officers’ commands they would go to the next level.
“As there may be a concern that persons are trying to use this as an opportunity to express their frustrations to the relevant authorities, I cannot condone it because the fact of the matter is that I have an obligation, as Commissioner of Police, to ensure that the laws are adhered to,” Griffith told the T&T Guardian in a telephone interview.
“The days of blocking the roads with debris and police officers standing by and allowing it is no more.”
Griffith’s comments came after UWI students suggested officers used excessive force in arresting the students, who were part of a group of students who attempted to block the officer from reopening the campus’ southern gate during their protest over the poor security measures on the campus.
“I empathise with them, I understand their frustration with certain things. However, as the Commissioner of Police, my position is not flexible, people are breaking the law,” Griffith said.
The two students were still in custody last night at the Tunapuna and St Joseph Police Stations. It is alleged that they used abusive language towards the officers and splashed them with water.
Speaking about the incident, at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister of National Security Stuart Young said he would liaise with Griffith and offer support to the university on the issue of security for the campus.
“I will ensure, in conversation with the commissioner, that whatever support we can give from National Security apparatus will be given,” Young said.
“I was very concerned when I saw that, that is something that obviously needs to be addressed. UWI has private security.”