NEWSDAY

By CECILY ASSON Friday, October 3 2014

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TELL ME: Supt Zamsheed Mohammed, who called on the public to report to him, any police officer drunk while on duty. He made the call at a police town …

A SENIOR policeman is advising the public to call him directly if they have information about any police officer who performs his/her duties while drunk. Supt Zamsheed Mohammed of Princes Town Police Station made the advice following an angry outburst from a woman at a police town meeting in Princes Town on Monday evening.

Susan Bridgemohan claimed that three years ago, a police officer was drunk when he came to her home to deliver a document. She made an official complaint but said she still sees the officer drunk and on duty.

At her turn at the microphone, Bridgemohan of St Croix Road, Princes Town told acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, who was seated at the head table that the police officer was dressed in plain clothes with a base ball hat and driving his own vehicle. His speech was slurred, she said.

Also listening to her complaint were Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Glen Hackett, DCP Harold Phillip, Assistant Commissioner of Police Donald Denoon and Snr Supt Cecil Santana.

Angered by the behaviour of the police officer, Bridgemohan said she made a report to the Princes Town Police Station but was advised to make an official complaint. She continued, “To make the complaint I had to be interrogated by the police officer there on duty for half an hour like a common criminal.”

As she questioned the policy of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service with regard to drinking on the job, Bridgemohan said she is still being harassed by the police officer who is, “still around, still drunk, still driving police vehicle.” An irate Bridgemohan continued: “Mr Commissioner then you will come on the news every night and say don’t drink and drive when you have a police officer breaking the law. You have a problem with alcoholism in the police service.

The officer is still working and obviously nothing is being done… so apparently you all are encouraging it.”

Bridgemohan was applauded by the audience. At the end of her contribution, Supt Mohammed called for support from persons in identifying police officers who may be performing their duties under the influence of alcohol..

“Anyone with any information or reasonable suspicion that any police officer is under the influence on alcohol while on duty, my number is 655-4132. Please pass the information on to me so that action can be taken.”