My Perception of a Local Newspaper Article

Article: Probe Into Police Beating.
Trinidad Express Newspaper
February  08, 2012

Yet another investigation has been launched into accusations of police beatings and brutality, this time the venue is the Panorama semi-finals. In a response to these allegations, spokesperson Sergeant Mystar said, "The officers acted in an appropriate manner and acted lawfully. We will do all within our power and within the confines of the law to ensure that law and order is maintained." It was alleged that the police officers beat patrons with batons and their fist because they pushed passed a barrier and were walking between the North Stand and the Greens.

Now....where have we heard this before? This sager seems all too familiar with occurrences far too regular in a society such as ours. Ironically, just two weeks prior these officers endured a special training in 'crowed control'. Really? Where did the training go? The article went on to state that this situation occurred after the officers of the Mounted branch  left the event. How could officers control a crowd if they left their post?

In my purview, our officers who are heavily compensated by hardworking tax payers of our twin island Republic, needs to be retrained and thus rewired in their thought patterns and concept of what 'To Protect and Serve' means. I would hasten to state, that not all our officers are of common stock and thus there are good, hardworking ones, lost in the bunch. An event of this magnitude should never be met with a situation where the law officers left, presenting an opportunity for a riot. Often we hear of stories of like nature, but fail to hear the efforts of justice and fair play, enacted to quell the cries that bellow from the languishing souls of families touched by this scourge.

'To PROTECT and SERVE'.....If this is the motto of our police force, then no public event should be left defenceless by our officers.