( Real News Antigua ) There are reports of friction and accusations of insubordination
between senior and junior officers in the Police Force.
Inside sources claim that an order given by an officer in the upper
ranks has been overridden by a lower-ranked colleague who
allegedly has the support of the boss.
The sources say the dissension stems from the senior officer’s order
that all tints be removed from marked police vehicles. The reason,
they say, is that civilians have complained that they are unable to
attract the attention of officers behind the heavily tinted glass.
Accordingly, the senior policeman instructed the persons
responsible for these vehicles to remove the obscuring tints.
Further reports say that the officers who allegedly “use the vehicles
to conduct their personal business” put up some resistance, and
they complained to another officer who is senior to them – but
subordinate to the one who had given the directive.
It is alleged that this lower-ranked officer instructed the drivers to
disregard the directions to remove the tint, and the matter
eventually was escalated to the attention of the commissioner.
To date, the sources say, there has been no compliance.
Accordingly, police officers continue to drive past incidents that
require intervention “and make excuses that they did not see” the
civilians in need of service and assistance.
While the names of the officers were disclosed to REAL News, our legal
counsel deemed it prudent to withhold their identities and those of our
sources in order to protect them from possible victimization.
