Police Commissioner Gary Griffith has cancelled the T&T Police Service’s Christmas and Divali celebrations in order to donate $1 million to the 266 police officers whose homes were destroyed in last weekend’s devasting flooding across T&T.
Griffith made the announcement while speaking at the weekly police press briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port-of-Spain yesterday.
Griffith said: “I have decided that we would forego these events this year because it is more critical that the funds that can be utilised for these events, that would have lasted a couple of hours, should be in the hands of the police officers who have been affected.”
While he admitted the decision may make him unpopular with some police officers, Griffith said it was necessary.
“They may call me ‘Scrooge’ but the fact of the matter is that the needs of the few would outweigh the need of the many to enjoy themselves in a social capacity,” Griffith said.
He said he had not decided how the money would be divided amongst the officers, but noted that the 50 officers who suffered the most losses would receive preferential treatment.
In a telephone interview afterwards, Police Social and Welfare Association president Insp Michael Seales said his organisation was consulted and fully supported Griffith’s decision.
“What the commissioner has now demonstrated is what it takes to be a policeman and being in service,” Seals said.
“It is important because you have to consider that we cannot be celebrating Christmas and every single officer who has been devasted by the flood is not able to give a glimmer of lights to their kids and much less themselves.”
During his address at the briefing, Griffith again commended his officers for their work during the flooding disaster.
Admitting that he was condemned on social media for requiring officers affected by floods to still report to duty, Griffith added: “That is good, I prefer to be condemned by asking police officers to come out and do what is required and they did. That shows the standard of the TTPS.”