Police sick out fails; further action pending for carnival

Most police acted responsibility on Monday and refused to respond to a planned 'sick out' to protest the Chief Personnel Officer's (CPO) five per cent salary increase offer.

Media reports say only about 300 officers stayed away from work, causing some disruption in the service.

Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs said about 70 officers from the Court and Process Branch in Port of Spain did not report for duty, creating problems with the processing and safeguarding of prisoners.

"That was probably the sticking point for us today. The prisoner transport was where there was an issue, but again, we managed to get through everything and that area is not as risky as far as crime and safety and security of people is concerned," Gibbs told the Trinidad Express.

Other divisions affected by the action included the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Guard and Emergency Branch.

Gibbs advised the officers that their action was not the way to resolve their issue and called on them to allow good sense to prevail. He said staying away from work would not solve the problems they face.

The police chief was happy that many officers acted responsbily and did not create the conditions to allow criminals to have a free day to commit crimes across the country.

Gibbs told the paper: "The bottom line is that we are able to cover off everything to ensure the safety and security of the citizens and that what it is all about, and to provide the customer support to their needs. 

"There wasn't anything that was negative as far as the crime fighting efforts and the security of people, which was our main concern, and I think at the end of the day we were able to manage that.

"I hope the negotiations go well and they achieve what they are after, but as far as staying at home, I don't believe that is the answer. That just puts people at risk and that's not what we are about. We are actually here to provide safety and security."

The president of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association (TTPSSWA) denied that the association advised its members to take action. However Sgt Anand Ramesar said the association is aware of the concerns raised by officers with respect to the five per cent offer.

Ramesar said the action sent a strong message to the authorities and predicted that the situation may escalate if there is no resolution to salary negotiations.

Police officers have also threatened to withhold their overtime services during the upcoming Carnival season, a time when the presence of every available officer is required to ensure Jouvert and other celebrations are incident free.