NATIONAL Security Minister Martin Joseph is being urged to take a special interest in the incident at the Queen’s Park Oval last Friday involving Acting Commissioner of Police Glen Roach.

A woman police officer, speaking to TnT Mirror on condition of anonymity, heaped scorn on the incident that alleged Roach got into a dispute with a constable outside the Queens’s Park Oval, Port of Spain that included the constable being bitten on his hand during the fracas.

Assistant Commissioner Oswyn Allard has been appointed by Roach to investigate the biting incident, but seeing both officers are members of the executive, the woman police officer insists the situation demands Joseph’s direct involvement to prevent a cover-up by senior officers.

According to the female police officer, unless the National Security Minister takes a direct interest in this case, nothing is going to come out of the incident.

“This is totally unacceptable,” the woman law officer stated.

“What kind of uncivilised behaviour is this?

“If this (allegation) is proven to be true, what example is that for junior officers?

MARTIN JOSEPH

ACP GLEN ROACH

“What are constables to do when they get into stressful situations?

“You would think that a man who is acting in the position of Commissioner of Police would know better.

“Where were his anger management skills?

“What happened to all his tolerance training?”

The outspoken police officer continued: “We are very concerned about what has happened.

“Officers in the lower ranks want to see that justice is served.

“This must not be swept under the carpet like so many other serious allegations against senior officers are allowed to.

“Can you imagine if it was a junior officer biting a senior officer … that junior officer would have been suspended one time.

“Trinidadians have no shame. We hosting the Cricket World Cup here next year and we are supposed to be fine-tuning our security network for the matches at the Queen’s Park Oval but we have this sort of allegation against one of the most senior officers in the Police Service.

“You would think that we know how to behave when the international media is in the country.

“It is a good thing the incident was not featured on the BBC news.

“Can you imagine what people in those other countries would be thinking of us?

“If there is any truth to the allegations, then the government must move quickly to have the Acting Commissioner removed.

“What is good for one has to be good for all.

“The State can’t be hounding the Chief Justice on one hand, while it tolerates this sort of barbarism from a senior police officer.

“We don’t want this sort of blatant hypocrisy in the Service.

“The Police Service is supposed to be a model organisation.

“While I can concede that it is not perfect, it can’t be that imperfect. “We ought not to accept such uncouth and primitive behaviour from an exemplar.

“There is nothing that Allard can find, other than to exonerate the Acting Commissioner entirely.

“That is why Joseph must step in,” the woman police officer ended.