Resident: There is only so much people can take

A resident of Troumaca is warning police to investigate reports of police brutality and put an end to them, as “there is only so much people can take.”{{more}}

The resident’s plea was made at a meeting held to discuss police and community relations at the Golden Grove Resource Centre last week Thursday evening.

The meeting, which was chaired by Superintendent of Police (SOP) Artis Davis, was also attended by SOP Michael Charles and area representative Dr. Jerrol Thompson.

Some persons present used the opportunity to relate incidents of abuse, which they said they or their relatives suffered at the hands of members of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) stationed at the Chateaubelair police station.

Although issues relating to crime prevention, including yacht robbery and predial larceny, were discussed, the main focus of the meeting was police brutality.

One woman said her brother was beaten and suffered a head wound while in police custody, while a 15-year-old student reported that he was slapped by a police officer one night at Golden Grove while waiting for his mother. One person in the audience expressed concern that many young people have their records tainted by mistakes they make as teenagers, causing them to suffer later in life when certain opportunities come their way.

SOP Davis promised to report the matters to the Commissioner of Police. “We cannot condone that type of behaviour. We want the community to work with the police in the fight against crime,” he said. Davis also called for follow up meetings to which the audience overwhelmingly agreed.

The next meeting will be held at the Petit Bordel Secondary School on Thursday, December 4.