Tobago’s police patrols boosted with 12 electric bicycles, from U.S. Embassy

Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, July 12, 2022

Jesse Ramdeo

A total of 12 electric bicycles were donated by the US Embassy, in collaboration with the American Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AMCHAM), to the T&T Police Services’ Tobago tourist-oriented police at a ceremony at the Shirvan Police Station yesterday.

Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob lauded the initiative, noting the important role the bicycles will play in augmenting patrols on the island.

Jacob said, “The TTPS will activate all the various patrol mechanisms, even in Tobago. The active directive patrols will be implemented in Tobago this month. Under this patrol policy, the main districts in Tobago will be zoned for mobile patrols and the grid system currently adopted by our Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch in Trinidad will be replicate with adjustments which are unique to Tobago.”

Jacob also said the Tobago road policing and mobile patrol capacity was recently boosted with new vehicles.

“The ebikes are the key component in our active directed patrols, as they will provide coverage not only on the main thoroughfares of the island but also be used to patrol the communities and the housing areas.”

Jacob also handed over the island’s first tranche of body cameras for police and pledged more will be issued to officers by month end.

“Today, I took the responsibility to bring an additional 20 body cams to be handed over to the senior superintendent and I want to give him the assurance that by the end of this month, there will be 80 additional body cameras handed over,” Jacob said.

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said with data suggesting the presence of over 12,000 illegal firearms in the public domain, focus had to be placed on a robust gun retrieval exercise. He said the donation will go a long way in pegging back criminal elements.

“This, for me, is like water upon my soul, clean cool, clear running water. Every little thing that goes towards making this place cleaner, safer, healthier and to achieve that, making the police more present, more energised, more professional, more available to the citizens, particularly when we need you, is really refreshing to my soul,” he said.