Deosaran wants aparliamentary committee to probe police

Independent Senator Ramesh Deosaran has made a written request for an "emergency meeting" of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament to discuss the discovery of a set of guns, ammunition and marijuana in the ceiling of the St Joseph Police Station.

In a letter to the Committee chairman Deosaran said the issue and the recent murder of a citizen on the compound of the West End police station in Diego Martin have "resulted in great shock and very deep concern across the population".

He said, "This shocking discovery demands enquiry, in the first instance, from several appropriate agencies," adding that the JSC initiate an appropriate hearing on this "discovery" with particular reference to, inter alia:

• Systems and procedures in place to guard the St Joseph Police Station, the West End Police Station, Diego Martin and other stations generally
• Systems and procedures to monitor the internal operations and physical items located in police stations, for example, the property room

Deosaran said given the statement by acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert that previously "there have been several problems at that St Joseph Police Station", an enquiry by this parliamentary body is further justified.

Deosaran stressed that the enquiry should focus more on systems and procedures, rather than trying to find any officer or officers guilty.

"As a matter of urgency, we should, within one half-day, call at least the acting Commissioner of Police and the relevant officers, then the Police Service Commission," Deosaran said.

"What we have been getting so far from the Police Service Commission, again in my respectful view, are generally vague or quite cryptic responses, as evidenced from our last meeting with them," Deosaran said, adding: "As a parliamentary committee, we should be able to delve more deeply into relevant matters and be better prepared to examine the Service Commission when they appear before us."

Chairman of the committee Pennelope Beckles told the Trinidad Edpress Friday that she wanted to hold meetings during the current parliamentary recess, but members were not interested. She said she would have to speak with members to give their views on such a meeting and to determine whether she could get a quorum.