TOO MUCH HUMAN TRAGEDYBy Leiselle Maraj Tuesday, September 1 2009
Several weeks after a policeman shot dead his common-law wife and then turned the gun on himself, President George Maxwell Richards has called for improved counselling for members of the Police Service to help them deal with personal and work-related problems.
“There are too many incidents of human tragedy based on emotional distress within the service. While it is not always possible to read situations correctly, it may well be that whatever machinery exists for counselling of personnel needs another look,” said Richards.
Richards delivered this message before toasting to the celebration of the 47th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago’s Independence yesterday at the Police Service cocktail reception held at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain.
He went on to say police must be helped to face the challenges in their lives.
“It is important that members of the service, who are already in a stressful work environment, be assisted in learning to cope better with their challenges, whether they be personal or job-related,” he said.
On August 5, policeman Cpl Sean James shot and killed common-law wife, Donna Noel at her place of work in a doctor’s office in Curepe and then turned the gun on himself. He eventually died from his gunshot wounds. Richards yesterday said while the rest of the public has no real understanding of the dangers officers face, members of the service must not allow fear to prevent them from doing their duty. He added, however, that the police must also not be excessive in their use of force so as to generate criticism from the public.
Richard said since the last Independence Day, the Police Service has continued to be stretched in performing their duties.
“The stories that have made headline news have not dealt easily with the service and that can tempt us to believe that we are without hope of solutions to the many issues of crime that confront our nation. I have to say though, that I have been struck by the fact that the leadership of the Police Service has given no hint of despair and seems ever more determined to win the fight against criminal elements, wherever they may be,” he said. Community policing, he said, is one way to fight crime but he cautioned that the results from such an initiative will not be realised immediately due to “deep seated deterrents to building confidence between communities and police officers.”
The President also called on the police service to intensify programmes to reach out to young people, such as the police youth clubs, and keep the focus on positive activities as an alternative to negative ones.
“This effort calls for the input of experts in all fields that relate to human behaviour and who are trained and equipped to deal with the vexing questions of misdirected youth and irresponsible parents,” he said.
