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The
political ad which has been appearing in the three daily
newspapers.
Who
put corporal in PNM ad?
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Top officer confirms “it is a genuine police officer”
appearing in a PNM campaign ad.
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He says “no police officer in his right mind”
would do such a thing.
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He says it’s “community policing picture,”
but can’t explain how it got used in the ad campaign.
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Regulations debar police from political involvements.
BY
GEISHA KOWLESSAR
Was the uniformed police corporal in a PNM newspaper advertisement
a “real police officer?”
And, if so, how did he end up in a political advertisement?
These were the questions being asked yesterday by senior
members of the police executive.
The colour ad, placed in daily newspapers, showed a uniformed
policeman helping a woman—dressed in a red blouse—to
cross a street outside what appears to be the Police Administration
building in Port-of-Spain.
On the sleeves of the officer’s shirt are two stripes,
signifying the rank of corporal.
The regimental number pinned on top the right pocket of
the officer’s grey shirt is blurred, making it unreadable.
The man’s identity also cannot be determined as his
head is tilted downwards, and grey and black cap—bearing
the emblem of the T&T Police Service—conceals his
forehead and eyes.
The ad bearing the PNM’s slogan—“We continue
to deliver, because we continue to care”—also
displays the Morvant Police Station, one of five model stations.
Deputy Police Commissioner Winston Cooper, when contacted
yesterday, was clear that “police officers are not
politicians and therefore cannot be in political advertisements.”
He said: “A police officer, however, can appear in
an advertisement once it is in the interest of the public.”
Asked if he believed the man wearing a police uniform in
the advertisement was a “real police officer,”
Copper said he “could not say.”
Deputy Police Commissioner Glen Roach, however, was more
forthright. He confirmed the man in the ad was a “genuine
police officer” who worked at the Police Administration
building at Sackville Street, Port-of-Spain.
He would not name the officer, though.
And without mincing words Roach said: “No police officer
in his right mind would consent to participating in any
political advertisement.”
Giving his explanation of the advertisement, Roach said:
“What you are seeing is a picture of community policing
act...An officer helping someone cross the street.”
But almost in the same breath, Roach questioned how the
“community policing picture” ended up as part
of the PNM’s advertising strategy.
“It
is a genuine police officer and I would not question the
police officer, but I don’t know how the picture ended
up there,” he said.
PNM’s response
Asked about the advertisement, PNM’s public relations
officer Jerry Narace said he “would have to look into
it.”
But Narace then quickly referred The Guardian to the Valdez
and Tory International Advertising Company.
He said, “Call them. They handled the ad.”
An official at the company said no one was available as
both “Mr (Steven) Valdez and Mr (Christian) Tory”
were “in meetings.”
The official then said, however, that Tory was on “a
telephone call” and could not respond to questions
posed by the Guardian.
An advertising industry source said, however, the ad was
approved by a named Police Service unit which assisted in
the photo shoot. No one from that unit, however, could be
reached for
comment.
Police
Social and
Welfare Association:
Vice-president of the Police Social and Welfare Association
Insp Ishmael David admitted seeing the ad, but declined
comment.
Instead, David said briefly, “The association reserves
comment at this time and we prefer to leave questions to
the deputy police commissioner to be answered.”
Police
regulations:
According to Section 15:01 of the T&T Police Regulations,
Chap 29 to 30, it states:
“A
police officer may not or in any document or any other medium
of communication, whether T&T or not, publish any information
or expression of opinion or matters of national or international
political
controversy.”
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