Senior Reporter
jensen.lavende@guardian.com
With six police-involved shootings in the past seven days, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) says they are yet to receive any body camera footage for any of them.
In fact, in a telephone interview with Guardian Media yesterday, PCA director David West, who has led the organisation since 2014, said the PCA has never received any footage of any police-involved shooting.
“The PCA has never received any body-worn camera footage from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. I don’t want to speculate why that is, whether or not they do have the footage or they don’t.”
Body cameras were introduced to the TTPS in 2017 as a pilot project by then-acting police commissioner Stephen Williams.
Last year, the police service had 1,120 body cameras.
Asked about body cameras at yesterday’s TTPS media briefing in Port-of-Spain, DCP Junior Benjamin said there are 940 currently in use but assured that was not all the police needed to maintain integrity.
“So, as we move forward, we are hoping, as we continue to expect a year where you’re going to see that high intensity, that our officers will use what we have. As we continue, we ensure that not just the body cam is going to speak to integrity, we will ensure a thorough investigation into all our shootings to ensure that level of integrity in what we do.”
Benjamin, in a subsequent interview with Guardian Media, said he could not say why the PCA has not received any body camera footage in eight years.
“Prior to the PCA and body cameras, the PCA had ways of finding out what happened on a scene. And body cameras are there for four reasons, as far as I am concerned. That being said, if the body cams are not used, there are other ways in which PCA can get evidence as to what transpired. So, I am saying the big deal about body cam should not hinder them from doing the investigation and getting the information.”
He said the four reasons included improving police safety, increasing evidence quality, reducing civilian complaints, and reducing agency liability.
Last year, 3,000 more body cameras were ordered for the TTPS, but Benjamin could not say how soon they would arrive.
Meanwhile, Benjamin said the police executive met with Forensic Science Centre officials to expedite the release of firearms held there following police-involved shootings.
“I think that we have made some nice progress. Recently, we were able to release a tiny sum in terms of firearms, and we believe that we will see a continual increase in firearms being released, and even a faster process or better process where it will not take that long when police shooting takes place.”
