A senior police officer on Monday told the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court that police officers are too cheap and expect the Police Force to provide them with everything.
The observation by Assistant Superintendent of Police Trumpet came as magistrate Rickie Burnett summoned him and asked if police officers are not provided with flashlights.
The magistrate’s inquiry came after the court learned that a police officer responding to a burglary in Sandy Bay around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 30 had to borrow a flashlight from the virtual complainant.
The responding officer, a police constable, told the court that he only had the flashlight that comes with his cellular phone.
Most cell phone flashlights have an effective range of just about 10 feet.
At this point, the magistrate Summoned Trumpet and asked him if police officers have to provide their own flashlights to perform their duties and, if so, why.
Trumpet told the court that police officers are too cheap and expect the force to provide everything for them.
Burnett responded that it might not be that police officers are cheap but that their salaries are too small.
The magistrate’s rebuttal resulted in some light laughter in court.
Earlier this year, three police officers, including Sergeant Brenton Smith, president of the Police Welfare Association, were transferred after the leaking of a WhatsApp conversation in which they were strategizing about getting the government to respond to their concern.
Among other things, the speakers in the WhatsApp audio messages were concerned about appliances at police stations and whether police officers riding in the pans of police pick-up trucks are covered by insurance.
Smith, along with Constable Kenroy Martin, has been brought up on internal disciplinary charges in connection with the audio conversation.
The other police officer who was transferred was Constable Jeremain Roberts.
At a press conference last week, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves called on police officers who do not want to be in law enforcement to apply for a transfer to the civil service.
He further that police officers should not tell members of the public seeking police response to a situation that there is no transportation at the police station.
Clearly the government of SVG, including the police have to one day get their priorities in order. Most of the taxpayers money gets spent on the big-shot politicians to travel abroad and beg for money.
Trumpet is a total IDIOT. No wonder the constabulary is in such a mess. How can this buffoon be an ASP? Flash lights are supposed to be a part of an officer’s kit. Just like hand cuffs, batons etc. All provided by the police force. The magistrate should have reprimanded Mr. Dumpit for his stupidity!
Endorsed he’s a […]
That was very unbecoming and a downright shame on the part of ASP Trumpet to have made such a dumb and irresponsible statement before an honourable open court and to refer his senseless utterance to the noble profession of a police officer, the same institution that feeds him bread, to say the least. Isn’t he an officer too of the said organisation that he has tarnished or is it that he too is one who gets Alzheimer’s as a result of a swollen head when elevation goes in their favour? How could he command respect from his subordinates and from the few precious law abiding citizens who still value the contribution of our hardworking lawmen with the very limited resources at their disposal? For a senior officer he demonstrated nothing short of unprofessionalism and ignorance and only added to the to already tattered respect rightfully due to the profession.
SMH. The police are one of the most important groups of people in a society and should be given all the necessities of the job to carry out their duties effectively.
IDIOT, Big youth? No, no, no. No at all. He is smart. It is the unsubtle display of red diplomacy. It is job security. It is a promotion application.
How can this buffoon be an ASP? For that very reason, lad: The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
When the police brass would throw peer support and camaraderie into the fire, and pull the rug from under a conscientious, hard-working subordinate in such a public on-the-record setting, why be conscientious and hard-working when it would bring you rebuke and shame?
That unfortunate constable would have been better off looking the other way. So, the next time a policeman is not there, busy looking the other way be more circumspect with your criticism.
Officers like Trumpet are the bigger part of the problem.
What a buffoon, an idiot and a down right jackass. Why bashed other officers? As a superintendent, your job is to see others around you are provided with the necessary tools to perform their job. This government is becoming such a laughingstock that if youre a smart criminal you can get away with anything. You belittle your coworkers, its such a shame punk.