Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith says there is confirmation that police officers are involved in the smuggling of illegal drugs, weapons and sex workers into T&T.
It was one of the reasons Griffith plans to continue with polygraph and drug tests for police officers as he promised to wipe out T&T’s illegal sex industry.
With officers of the South Western Division expected to undergo tests this week, he said those who are shareholders and accomplices will be exposed.
Last week, newly-elected president of the Police Social and Welfare Association Inspector Gideon Dickson said that no tests should be done until his organisation meets with Griffith. Dickson said officers have concerns.
He said that Griffith must reveal under what authority he is operating as it relates to the new policy. Former Association president Michael Seales had supported the move.
Speaking on CNC3’s The Morning Brew, Griffith said that trying to get the officers at police stations to shut down brothels and hideouts were futile as many times the operators were tipped off about impending raids.
“It is not a way to profile, target or witch hunt any police officer, but the polygraph testing and the drug testing will commence this week. The first person that will be polygraphed and drug tested would be the Commissioner of Police so that no one can question us targeting anyone. I will expect that all police officers will not have an issue with this because this is exactly what you did to get into the Police Service.
“By doing this, we will be able to extract the sheep from the goat. Persons who fail or are reluctant to do so, they will be reassigned. I intend to clean out that southwestern peninsula to ensure that any police officer who is involved in aiding or abetting in illegal human trafficking, illegal drugs or weapons entering the country, they must not in any way have an opportunity to do so based on where they are located,” Griffith said.
He confirmed that officers have been assisting the illegal entry of vessels along the southwestern peninsula, where marked police vehicles are used to carry out light signals to alert the vessels.
Aware that it may bring condemnation, Griffith said the public should not lose confidence in the Police Service but see that transparency is increasing and police officers are having to account for their actions.
It was one of the reasons for the establishment of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT). The officers of that unit have undergone polygraph tests and trained in rescue and eradication operations.
He said that police were playing a major part in border protection and will soon establish a coastal patrol unit.