Newly appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police for Tobago, Anand Ramesar, is calling on officers to strengthen their relationship with the public.
He made the appeal while addressing residents at a TTPS Town Hall Meeting in Glamorgan, Tobago, on Wednesday night, where concerns about trust, communication and police responsiveness featured prominently.
Having heard concerns from residents at several town hall meetings and community engagements, Mr Ramesar acknowledged that communication is one of the key areas the Tobago Division needs to improve, particularly when members of the public make reports.
“We have fallen short if we are not communicating to you and reassuring you that we have investigated it, we have visited the scene, we have spoken to persons, we have taken statements and we have evaluated whether we can move forward or we can’t move forward, but you must know.”
Meanwhile, ACP Ramesar assured residents that he is paying attention to public concerns about alleged breaches of confidentiality by police officers.
“If ever a police breaches confidentiality, it is an offence. We have regulations that we police officers are mandated to observe. A police officer is not to disclose to anybody outside of the Police Service information that comes to them within the course of their duty.”
He noted that building and maintaining public trust is critical to effective policing and crime prevention.
ACP Ramesar, however, stated that officers will be held accountable for upholding the standards expected of the TTPS.
While efforts to combat crime remain a priority, he noted that police must also respond to minor complaints that affect residents’ day-to-day quality of life.
“Whether it’s the derelict vehicles, whether it’s the loud music, or whether it’s the things that are affecting your enjoyment as you go about your lives on a daily basis, and as it relates to that, we will have to do some improvement as it relates to enforcement in relation to those laws.”
ACP Ramesar said those concerns will be addressed with senior officers as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild public confidence in the Tobago Division.