Their action Monday disrupted some of the country's courts and caused a security lapse at the private residences of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Chief Justice Ivor Archie.
Officers from the Special Branch Unit were called out to do guard duty at the private residences because only two of 24 officers from the Guard and Emergency Branch reported for duty.
Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs said the core work of the police continued despite the absenteeism.
In a media statement Gibbs said while he supports officers getting paid "a reasonable salary for their services", he does not support the action they are taking, which has the potential to put the safety of citizens at risk.
The majority of officers who showed up for duty were Special Reserve Police officers, who also have a money grievance that has been outstanding since last July.
Police have threatened to shut down all Carnival activities, including fetes, leading up to Carnival Monday and Tuesday, if their demands are not met.
They are demanding a 40 per cent salary increase; the government has said it can afford only five per cent over a three-year period.
President of the Police Service Second Division Social and Welfare Association Sgt Anand Ramesar claims the the association does not support the decision of the officers to stay home.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy have condemned the sick-out.
Last week when officers first took the sick-out action Sandy described the officers who stayed off the job as "unpatriotic".
2 comments:
It was so blatant that the last administration starved the police service while it spent millions on the army and coast guard in the guise of national security. Yet the police on the street, facing the criminals were forced to go into crime themselves to save their skins and protect their families, if not just to make ends meet. No real effort was made then to curb crime. We all knew and the PP knew that the police service would have to be cleaned up and enhanced before anything could be done about crime. Now it looks like it got so bad within the police service itself that we may just have to wait for the criminals, police included, to get rid of one another, notwithstanding the slaughter of innocent victims along the way. Calling in outside help may very well be the only option left at this time.
"President of the Police Service Second Division Social and Welfare Association Sgt Anand Ramesar claims the the association does not support the decision of the officers to stay home."
This is a farce just like the "Police Farce", Anand just trying to avoid and evade legal liability for himself and the "Ass-ociation".
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