(Trinidad Guardian) The T&T Police Service (TTPS) has signed a multi-million dollar deal with a firm to equip all police officers with some of the latest and hi-tech guns to even the playing field against the criminal element.
Two of the main guns to be purchased include the SIG PRO and the SIG Sauer P226 Pistol. The latter—SIG Sauer P226 Pistol—will be assigned to every “ordinary” police officer in the TTPS, while the SIG PRO will be assigned to officers in the Special Branch Unit, the T&T Guardian has been told.
According to a source who wished not to be identified, the new guns will replace the present ones being used in the service, which include the Smith and Wesson and M&P 9mm, which is similar to the Glock pistol.
The source added that Special Branch had already been issued with the new SIG PRO firearms.
“That particular weapon is used by counter-terrorism specialist firearms officers, hence the reason it was assigned to the Special Branch Unit,” the source said.
Contacted for comment on the matter yesterday, Social and Welfare Association president Anand Ramesar said the acquisition of new guns for officers was long overdue.
“The association has been clamoring for this change long time now and I am giving my total endorsement and support to the Commissioner of Police on this move,” Ramesar said.
Ramesar said he was part of a team that attended a demonstration and exhibition on the use of the guns last month.
“I believe it was from there everything may have happened. The firearms we have now are very much outdated and what you find is that when it goes defective it has to remain defective because the parts of the firearms are not accessible,” he added.
Ramesar said some of the guns being used by the TTPS date as far back as the early 1970s.
“These new firearms appear to be superior to what we have now but in the long term the cost of it will be worth it,” he said.
Asked if there were any concerns about the disposal of the firearms which will be replaced, Ramesar replied: “There are no concerns because we believe that there are sufficient mechanisms in place to discard our firearms.”
Asked if there were concerns that the “old” firearms would end up on the streets and in the hands of gang members, he replied: “We are not concerned of this either because we never had a problem with our firearms ending up in the wrong hands out there. They all will be destroyed properly.”
Contacted yesterday, acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams laughed as he said: “I cannot comment on such information for the public out there.”
However, Minister of National Security Carl Alfonso said purchasing the new guns was deemed necessary to enhance the service.
“It is all for obvious reasons… new assets, whether it be arms and vehicles, it is all in the effort to enhance the TTPS,” Alfonso said.
He pledged his continued support to the TTPS and promised if given a second term in office he would ensure his ministry gave whatever was needed to the TTPS.
“Whatever they think they need or want to improve the service they will have my full support,” he said.
