There will always be animosity because what is happening is like the police policing the police. It’s always difficult to police up your own. That is why you need special positions for example our Special Operations and Response Team. Their sole responsibility is for internal affairs to police up our own. That team is always ostracized because of what they do—they investigate their own. Without that team, we would never make these kinds of arrest,” Bordelais Director Hilary Herman told the STAR on Tuesday.
His comments follow the arrest of a prison officer on Saturday.
Dennery police charged the 35-year-old man of Mon Repos, Micoud, for the offences of Possession of Controlled Drugs, Possession with Intent to Supply and Attempt to Supply to an Inmate at the Bordelais Correctional Facility with a Prohibited Item.
The defendant appeared in court on Monday where he was granted bail in the sum of $6000 of which $1000 is to be paid in cash and the balance of $5000 in suitable surety. The case was adjourned to August 8.
According to police reports, the incident occurred about 7:05pm on Saturday July 23. The man reported for duty at the Bordelais Correctional Facility in his capacity as a Correctional Officer.
A search was conducted on his person and a quantity of marijuana was found in the sole of his shoe and an amount also found in his wallet. He was arrested and taken into custody immediately.
Said Herman, “We have had incidents of these things before. It’s nothing new. Anytime anything like this happens it is not a good thing. However, I must also highlight that it is another correctional officer that makes the findings and the arrest. That tells you that as much as we have a few bad apples, we also have some good ones that actually are vigilant and are able to apprehend a colleague, which is very hard to do.”
This is the second time this year a correctional officer has been arrested and charged in relation to a drug offense.
On Sunday March 20 around 9:30pm, a correctional officer was caught trying to smuggle marijuana into the prison baked in dhalpuries.
Once again Herman has lamented the flaws of the grossly inadequate screening and disciplinary processes for correctional officers.
Said Herman, “Unfortunately, the screening process that we have advocated for has not come to fruition as yet. Our system as you know is very slow at making changes. Our intelligence gathering has improved considerably and I think this particular arrest is directly attributed to intelligence and information gathered.
“I think in the future that you will see an improvement in us making arrests because we are able to refine a lot of our intelligence and we have an intelligence officer with the sole responsibility for intelligence gathering and investigation.
“However, our system has not improved much in reacting to it. For example, the process of termination, the last guy who was caught is out on suspension with full pay until the matter is resolved.”
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