Trinidad police suspensions cost millions, strain budget

Trinidad and Tobago's Police Commissioner, Allister Guevarro, revealed that 290 police officers are currently suspended, a figure presented as evidence of an aggressive internal accountability mechanism. However, a deeper analysis reveals a significant financial burden on taxpayers, with the cost of paying these suspended officers estimated between $55 and $60 million annually.

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Two hundred and ninety suspended officers carry a staggering price tag for the taxpayer.

This substantial expenditure funds a "ghost battalion" of officers who perform no duties, while the Police Service simultaneously seeks budget increases to recruit more personnel. The indefinite nature of these suspensions stems from systemic failures, including bureaucratic red tape within the TTPS's internal disciplinary framework and prolonged delays in judicial processes. Tribunals are often stalled due to a lack of dedicated adjudicators, and criminal courts can take years to resolve charges against suspended officers.

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Taxpayers are effectively funding a ghost battalion, an entire division of personnel who yield zero operational output, don no uniforms, perform no policing duties while the TTPS simultaneously demands a budget expansion to recruit 2,300 more officers.

Adding to the financial strain, the Police Service is grappling with a $500 million debt to vendors, which hinders modernization efforts. Commissioner Guevarro confirmed the retirement of over 1,000 "substandard" body cameras, leaving the service without crucial visibility tools. Furthermore, the TTPS recently required a $120 million supplemental funding to clear outstanding overtime backlogs.

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The TTPS' internal disciplinary framework remains choked by bureaucratic red tape, a point made before parliamentary Joint Select Committees (JSCs).

In light of these financial realities, the ongoing cost of $55 million annually for suspended officers is deemed fiscally untenable. The article questions the effectiveness of the current system, where officers remain suspended indefinitely, incurring significant costs without contributing to operational output, while the service faces critical needs in modernization and staffing.

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As TTPSWA president Ishmael Pitt rightly pointed out, suspended officers have a right to the presumption of innocence. The State cannot simply stop paying these officers.