Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 19/Sep 02:45

Locked up cop removed from Preysal Secondary

DEPUTY Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin, liaison officer for the School Oriented Policing Unit, has confirmed that the police officer who was locked in a classroom by students of Preysal Secondary School, has been reassigned. Benjamin also revealed that no criminal charges would be laid against the student who locked the officer in the classroom and threw away the key. A Form Three student was suspended for confining one of two officers, maintaining security at the school, in a classroom for over 30 minutes. Reports said the officer was asleep in a classroom, the student saw the key on the door, locked the door and threw the keys in another classroom. It took approximately 30 minutes for the keys to be found before the officer could be released. Benjamin said the incident seemed more like a prank, rather than one of intent to do the officer harm, and as a result they are leaving it up to the school administration, in keeping with the disciplinary procedures outlined by the Ministry of Education. In a phone interview with Newsday on September 18, Benjamin said the police did not want to be overzealous at the start of the policing in schools initiative, which is really to help restore law and order in the schools and start charging students at will. Pointing out that based on public feedback there have been calls for harsh measures to be implemented against the wrong doers and what is the message this “slap-on-the-wrist” approach is sending is, he conceded, “It is a serious matter of discipline, but we have to be careful how we handle this situation. “Because its children we are dealing with and there was not sufficient evidence to suggest they meant him harm. “We have to be careful how we dispense justice.” He made it clear, however, “indiscipline would not be tolerated,” relating that a second incident took place at the same school on September 18, in which the police officers also had to intervene. In this instance, a female student was behaving disrespectful with a dean, and the police officers had to intervene to bring the situation under control. “A young lady was being very undisciplined with the dean and the officers had to speak with her in a stern manner.” He said the student was subsequently taken to the principal’s office to be dealt with according to the disciplinary procedures as no criminal offence was committed. The post Locked up cop removed from Preysal Secondary appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.