Tuesday, September 18 2012

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SUNDAY PRAYERS: A frail former Prime Minister and President Arthur NR Robinson sits during an ordination service for 21 new Full Gospel Church pastors...

THE EDITOR: This is a complaint to the Minister of National Security Jack Warner about the annoying abuse by police of sirens —only when stuck in traffic.

Minister Warner, I am sure if you took a national survey now, and asked members of the public if they felt the police officers were abusing their privileges in terms of using sirens to get through traffic conditions — there would be a huge and resounding yes, because people are very upset by this “bullying” approach by some police in their vehicles.

Let me give you a case in point. The other morning when coming around the Savannah just after the turn-off to Queen’s Hall, I saw a police vehicle in my rear view mirror. Traffic was flowing, so no problem — siren was off. Just before we got to Jernigham Avenue, the traffic pile-up had started. All of a sudden, the siren came on and the police vehicle whisked through traffic, turned left by Chaud and went down the road. By the time I had passed Laughlin and De Gannes — around New Street — there was the police vehicle parked up on the right side with the three police officers eating and laughing in the same vehicle.

Another incident occurred recently as well, when turning right by Powergen and going north to the cemetery where we encountered a slew of traffic… Note, I was driving behind this particular police vehicle all the way from Solo, South along the Beetham and into PoS—with no siren on. Once we hit traffic by Powergen, on comes the siren so they can avoid the traffic congestion that everyone else has to put up with.

Let me ask you Minister Warner, if you were in our situation — drivers stuck in traffic — and keep seeing this repeated abuse of “special police privilege” in order to get out of traffic, won’t you become very angry about this abusive situation?

We are asking you to please find a way to put a stop to this wonton abuse of power. In fact some of my friends have become so upset by this that when they hear these deliberate sirens being used, they either don’t move their cars, or pretend their cars are giving trouble as a means of correcting the imbalance, which can also lead to other problems. Bottom line, one imbalance leads to another.

We need your intervention in this matter Minister Warner, because this abuse of siren situation is clearly getting out of hand.



Roger Gordon

Cascade