The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) in its annual report has advised the Police Service Commission (PSC) that it be the sole independent body to investigate the two top offices in the police.
The recommendation was one of 28 in the PCA’s annual report for the accounting period of last year which was laid in Parliament on Wednesday.
The advice said: “Investigations into allegations of criminal or disciplinary actions by the CoP and or DCP should be conducted by the PCA, as the sole independent civilian oversight body in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The PSC has authority over the three deputy commissioners and the police commissioner.
The other 27 recommendations given in the 126 page report were for the Police Commissioner. They included annual psychological assessments of officers and, based on the results, officers could be referred for mandatory counselling.
The PCA also said officers should be reminded of and retrained in the Police Standing Orders. Those include the need to identify themselves using their identification cards so the public could be assured they were legitimate officers, and reading out and showing search warrants to those whose premises were being searched.
The PCA, led by David West, also recommended an amendment that would allow officers to provide a copy to the owners when searches were to be conducted.
That lawyers should be allowed private conversation with clients while in custody, was another advice offered.
The report also showed an increase in the number of police officers being investigated for murders when compared to the previous year.
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