THE EDITOR: As I drove along Long Circular Road in Port-of-Spain, travelling from St James to Maraval at 10.05 am on March 18, I was treated to a live display of police stupidity – maybe, ignorance – by the driver of a marked police SUV.

I was on the Maraval side of Long Circular Road going downhill when the police SUV drove from a side street and attempted to turn left onto the major road without stopping. I honked my horn sufficiently long to get the driver to stop, by which time he/she was further out on the road than should have been.

Rather than trying to pass around the SUV to continue on my way, I allowed the driver to make the turn while I waited. As soon as this was done, the blue lights on the SUV were switched on and the officer started driving at snail’s pace with the obvious intention of delaying my progress as there was no other reason for that action.

I decided against trying to overtake the SUV since it might have prompted a response by the officer of stopping me and asking for my driving documents before laying some trumped-up traffic charge. Fortunately, after several seconds of this, I made a right turn into a street, after which the SUV picked up speed and continued on its way along Long Circular Road towards Maraval.

What was the reason for that action when I did nothing more than sound my horn urgently to get the driver to stop at the major road? He/she was clearly in the breach and could have caused an accident. Clearly, if that driver was in such a hurry to get to some place, he/she would not have had the time to display such crass stupidity on the roadway while driving an official vehicle.

That was a perfect example of showing “what police can do.”

CLYDE ALPHONSO

via e-mail

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