Home
 TV6 News & Events
   - Exchange Rates
   - Share Prices
   - Mutual Funds
   - Directory
 Letters
Type:
Keyword:
- Barbados Nation
- Jamaïca Observer
- Stabroek News
- VI DailyNews
- Voice of Barbados
 One Caribbean Media
 Reach Caribbean
 Children's Fund
 Privacy Policy





E-mail this story to a friend E-mail to a friend
View printable version

...More stations, offices searched


Yesterday, mere hours after Commissioner of  Police James Philbert publicly denounced errant police officers operating within the Police Service, all stations within the Northern Division and also the office of a tactical unit in the Southern Division were searched for illegal arms, ammunition and narcotics.

Sources say the order came on the heels of yet another illegal firearm and ammunition find in the St Joseph Police Station on Wednesday.

The orders were relayed via telephone messages around 4 p.m. yesterday, ordering all First Division Officers to conduct searches of their officers’ lockers, desks and other property in the stations.

It was only on Wednesday that Philbert vowed to deal with rogue elements following last Saturday’s seizure of a cache of arms, ammunition and narcotics found by officers of the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) hidden in the ceiling of the St Joseph Police Station.

Following the find, 38 officers ranging from Inspector to Constable were transferred to various stations within the Northern and Eastern Divisions.

Philbert then assigned ASP John Martinez to investigate the circumstances surrounding the find and said that all officers who were attached to the station would be subjected to DNA and fingerprint testing.

Sources say around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, one of the replacement officers-a constable-took up duty at the St Joseph Station Criminal Investigations Department and was in the process of emptying a desk drawer, when he found a .380 pistol with several rounds of ammunition.

The officer, who was attached to the Arima CID, alerted his seniors who seized the firearm and ammunition.

Sen Supt of the Northern Division Rajendranath Maraj in a brief interview with the Express yesterday said ’whatever was found is being dealt with’.

And around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, detectives of the Organised Crime Narcotics and Firearms Bureau (OCNFB) raided the offices of a tactical unit in the Southern Division after receiving information that narcotics and illegal firearms were being stored there.

However, after intensive searches nothing illegal was found.

Sources say they expect other stations to be searched in the coming days.


 Comments: ...More stations, offices searched
More Stations, officers searched. Posted: 2009-08-14 00:52:00 AM
So, the people really expect to give notice to the police that their stations are going to be searched and at the same time really expect to find guns and ammunition? Get real please..you have already give ample notice to "get rid of the evidence please, we want to look good when we come to search". Yeah, right! Watch out for the cobweb though.
Only in a ....Banana Republic..Third world..Country... Posted: 2009-08-13 10:30:00 PM
Only in a Banana Republic will there be such an activity as searching a Police station for Illegal arms and ammunition and illegal drugs. This is unfolding like something out of a Science Fiction movie. Nothing happing in this Country will ever surprise me again, unless is something of a virtuous nature. The questions have been answered as to why so many murders go unsolved. The Police Officer that was on sick leave for two months should be put on line up parade for identification, I am sure you will get a hit. While on his Sick leave I am sure he was up to no good. Do not put anything pass him!!!! Lloyd C. Johnson US Army Retired, Germany
More Stations Offices Searched Posted: 2009-08-14 01:45:00 AM
Why is so much info being given?Do you not think this is giving all those crooked police time to clean up their stations be4 it's searched? Name shame and suspend without pay.Waste no time. Bring charges asap and deal with them very harshly. Philbert you allegedly promised to clean up the entire force. Show us how much spine you truly have. Concerned
More officers serched Posted: 2009-08-14 03:17:00 AM
We wonder what the minister of national securiety has been doing, while the citizens of the country are under seige by the criminals and members of his own staff. He should be made to answer to the nation about what he was doing. What a disgrace to our security and freedom,The people who should be protecting us is the ones who have us under seige, we should see a differance in some aspect now.
"Intensive Search" Posted: 2009-08-14 07:45:00 AM
Is this just a PR gimmick to restore confidence in the Police Service?
TTPS recommendations Posted: 2009-08-14 06:41:00 AM
The Prime Minister's initial request for a foreign Commissioner of Police was aggressively resisted within and 'without'the Police Service. This statement ought to be revisited and upgraded. Recommendations: (1)Introduce the CSME system, for all Police Officers (men).Let's have a foreign Police Service from 2010-2015.Evaluate performance at the end especially crime and traffic. (2)Promote and market more Police women (3) Drastic dismissal policy for any Officer who breaks the law Taxi drivers etc..... (4) No Officer should be allowed to take Police uniforms home. Establish a military laundry at all Police Stations. As duty demands, let all Officers dress and undress at their respective stations.
Accountability Posted: 2009-08-14 06:48:00 AM
There is a need to hold accounatable the head and all senior officers of Divisions first for any crime committed in his Divisions or at stations. If he/her cannot manage his division how can he manage cirme or offences in the districts or community There is too much inefficient and lack of commitment to their profession. Cure demote those seniors responsible.
Clean up Posted: 2009-08-14 07:27:00 AM
Good job in finding these dessidents but may i ask one stupid question. Dont you think that by announcing that more stations would be searched is such a good idea. Common sense would tell me that hey they are coming to search my station lets clean up anything that they may find because i dont want to get fired or transferred or worst prosecuted. Are u tipping off these people indirectly these are things that make you go hmmmmmm.
A Start Posted: 2009-08-14 07:48:00 AM
Kuddos, now all officers should be subject to fingerprinting, so that there exists a file in the system for them.
More Stations searched Posted: 2009-08-14 04:17:00 AM
After finding drugs and ammo in a raid on one station does commissioner Philbert really expect to find anything going from one station to another in one day,he should know there will be a chain reaction of phone calls or textes to warn their brothers in blue,why not do random searches. New York
I really don't know nah Posted: 2009-08-14 08:29:00 AM
I don't know bout u guys but for me, if I was a corrupt officer I would of gotten rid of all evidence right after I heard of the crack down on that station because I know they going to come looking for others after. Common sense would tell you that would be the reaction. How is the Commissioner expect to find anything now?
More ststions searched Posted: 2009-08-14 08:47:00 AM
This corruption in the police fraternity has been going on for a long time. Why has it taken this long to conduct such searches on it's officers? Now this is the very reason why there is so much crime in the country. Hope that they will continue to clean up the mess and corruption both there and in the armed forces. FL. U.S.A.
Police usually cover each other Posted: 2009-08-14 10:17:00 AM
Obviously there are higher people involved and they have links to cover their selves, they have their freedom to protect so they will never be investigated. -Paris
NO COCOA IN SUN NO PROBLEM WITH RAIN Posted: 2009-08-14 10:49:00 AM
POLICE OFFICERS NOT ORDINARY CITIZENS: Any Police Officer's ,D.N.A can be taken without having to be arrested.The Police Service is a Para-Military Organization that is allowed Special Authority,similar to the Military.By the very nature of their job the CoP can insert this practice into the Rules and Procedures,in order to be able to identify those unfortuate Officers who may be killed or kidnapped,etc.This should be "Standard Operating.Procedure". That's why the U.S. Military have be wearing "dog-tags"for years.Their D.N.A. is now included in their records(201 file). It makes indentification and elimination a lot easier.So Mr.CoP go ahead and issuse your orders.Those who fail to comply,should be charged with insurbordination/fired,or they could resign. All suspected Officers should be sequested either in Teteron,or in Barbados under foreign guard/protection.Until foreign help from the U.S. is solicited and a thorough investigation is completed,no one should be allowed to walk out of confinement . This is much to serious and the best opportunity to purge the Service.If you do not have cocoa in the sun,then rain would not be your problem. Aubert Modeste
station searched Posted: 2009-08-14 1:07:00 PM
Yeah,good idea, give them a couple days notice so they can clean out all guns and drugs. Brilliant police leadership!
Great Posted: 2009-08-14 09:37:00 AM
Now they know the search coming..I wonder what they will find?
MORE STATIONS SEARCED Posted: 2009-08-14 09:40:00 AM
Do not blame these junior cops .Blame the Government and there superiors.I made a comment when this story was first made.I am an ex cop about 20 years ago and was there when the (FOX) was there .Most of these lead investigators you have supervising these elite sections are disciples of the (FOX) and has pass on there experiments to these juniors so the corruption goes on.Outside help is needed to bring trust back.In short all I am trying to say is that this has been going on for ever.Is only now they are been caught.In the 10 years i spent in the service I can tell you stories.I am not making this up or was i dismiss or quit I resigned and further law enforcement abroad.I have rank and would have like to come back and help but after 35 years in this field I just want to enjoy the rest of my life. Good cop living in the USA.
Re-Aubert Modeste No cocoa in the sun Posted: 2009-08-14 2:19:00 PM
This is exactly the type of imaginative thinking that the police service needs. The TTPS is apparenly run without proper controls, or checks and balances (much like every other T&T gov't service) In a country of 1 million people where we probably have one officer for every 100 people, crime should never be this rampant. Unlesss the police are helping the crimminals...and it seems evident that they are....such treason should be punishable by exile
Other stations searched. Posted: 2009-08-14 11:07:00 AM
The person who referred to BAnana Republic is talking nonsense. In Houston, Texas, the entire police crime lab had to be shut down due to corruption, and men who were wrongly convicted, and spent up to 18 years in jail, were cleared. The state of texas pays $80,000 US for a year spent wrongfully in jail.Five cops were arrested for delivering drugs in a police car, and guns taken off of criminals have been used on the streets in other murders. Dugs and guns hace so corrupted the entire system, that at some point, a generah housekeping is needed. The TTPS is now doing that, we should commend those at the top for trying to chop off one head of the hydra. This problem has been there for thirty yearsor so, so it will take a while, and a general shking down of the system. Go, Mr.Philbert, Go get them.

  • HUNT MUST GO!
  • ’No plans to resign’
  • Opposition forces calling for minister’s head
  • PM talks again of plot to kill him
  • Kamla: Bill to privatise TTRA
  • Lara’s housekeeper charged with theft
  • Couva North executive members quit
  • ...Bas: A lot of buying, selling taking place
  • EMA grants ’noise’ permit for Beyonce
  • No water for 10,000
  •  Home   News   Features   Opinion   Sports   Cartoon   Search   Woman 
     MIX   Classified   Business   Market   TV6   Privacy Policy   Advertising    
    Site designed and managed by CCN New Ventures. Managing Editor: Omatie Lyder, Head of TV News; Dominic Kalipersad, Copyright 2009 All rights reserved. Trinidad Express 35 Independence Sq, Port of Spain, Trinidad. Express newspaper and TV6 are subsidiaries of One Caribbean Media (www.onecaribbeanmedia.net)
    Powered by www.cpsgsoftware.com