WITH the nation reeling under siege by violent criminals and murderers, a senior official of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has taken an entire department from Police Headquarters for a Carnival frolic at Scotland Bay, a popular beach on the Chaguaramas peninsula on Wednesday.

Police officers were stunned when they found the Pay Section of the Finance Branch at the Police Administrative Building on the corner of Sackville and Edward Streets closed.

Notices were posted all over the third floor that the section would not be working today.

Later, officers were told that the Department, staffed entirely by civilian employees, had been given a joy ride to Scotland Bay, organised by a senior official from the Human Resources Department and with the blessing of Police Commissioner Trevor Paul.

The employees of the Human Resources Branch were also included on the excursion.

Officers who were given official notice to come to the Pay Section to settle outstanding matters were met with the notices.

“This does not look good for the Police Service,” one senior officer confided to TnT Mirror.

“Cops are bussing their tails trying to bring the country under some sort of control with this crime situation, and we get very little thanks for it.

“It is a bitter pill to swallow for police officers who put their lives at risk in the line of duty that the civilians from the Pay Section deserve to be rewarded for working hard.

“When benefits come, we are last in line it would seem.”

The “fete” at Scotland Bay was not advertised, so no one could give any details of how much money was being spent on the adventure, and who else has been invited to enjoy the food and drinks that are available for the Finance staff.

“It is the State that is paying for all of that,” one insider fumed to this newspaper.

“There are officers who are trying to work out issues relating to their salaries before the Carnival and they gone down to Scotland Bay to eat, drink and wine down on the beach.

“Can you imagine, of all the people working at Head Office, it’s the civilian staff that is being rewarded.

“This is the sort of thing that demoralises the Police Service.

“The section empty. It only have empty desk in there.

“You can’t find a pay clerk anywhere in the building.

“If you had any serious business in here today, you are in real trouble.”

The informant then added: “What is the signal that is being sent to the country?

“We are facing a crime wave and all the people in here could think about is to find a way to party … to drink a set of free grog on the beach.

“I just hope these people in administration know what they are doing because they are using money for police to fete them civilians.”

According to sources, approval for the Carnival “lime” was given by a senior official of the National Security Ministry, who has a lot of confidence in the senior official of the Human Resources Branch.

The appointment of senior Human Resource official to the Police Service caused some controversy last year, but police officers said they are not surprised by the Scotland Yard jaunt.

“The Pay Section employees were picked up at headquarters by a police bus and driven down to Teteron Barracks, then taken aboard a Coast Guard vessel for the beach party and treated as if they were foreign celebrities,” our source stated.

“There are people there who just love having a good time and a good drink.”

Efforts to get a comment from the Police Commissioner proved futile up to Press time.

Several attempts to contact him at his office or on his cellular phone were to no avail.