Police Pro

Police Procedure Revision.

History of the TTPS-

1592- Spaniards founded the first European settles, the capital town of Trinidad, San jOse de Oruna. Senior Jose Nunez Brito was appointed to the office of Alguacil Mayor or Chef of Police. The Officer of the Cabildo, or town council, controlled the police force. Duties were restricted to within the city. Strength never exceeded six (6) men.

1890- St James Barracks used as a female prison, hospital, and training centre for police.

1906-A Constabulary Reserve was established (Officers Mess was established).

1938- The TnT Constabulary because the TnT Police Force; the Inspector General of Police became the Commissioner of Police.

1960- Setting up a Police Service Commission.

1965- Introduction to the Police Service Act No. 30 of 1965, the Police Service Regulation (1965) was enacted and made current in 1971. This is contained in Chater 15:01, in the revised laws of TnT.

2010- The first non-national commissioner of police Dr. Dwayne Gibbs / first female PM Kamala Persad-Bisesser

2023- First female COP Erla Harewood Christopher.

2025- On August 29th, 2025 a 70th Anniversary Women’s Police Parade was held at the Police Academy.

Vision- To make every place in Trinidad and Tobago safe.

Mission- In partnership with the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago we provide for a safe and secure community and other places through professional policing, focused leadership and consistent, high-quality service.

Motto- To Protect and Serve with P.R.I.D.E (Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Dignity, Excellence)

Badges of Rank:

Division of Rank- First Division and Second Division.

Geographical Division- Northern North, Northern Central, North Eastern, Eastern, POS, Western, Central, Southern, South Western, Tobago.

Who comprises the executive (how many person at what ranks)- 1 COP, 3 DCP’s, 11 ACP’s.

Code of Conduct- Primary purpose and the core principles-

SO 6-

Police Officers while on duty must always be cleanly and smartly attired. They shall not appear in the public view improperly dressed.

Who can authorize PO to wear plain clothes? No one.

Can women police officers wear 3 rings? No

Can male PO wear 3 rings? No

Other accessories that can be worn? Male- no more than 2 rings a wrist watch, a bracelet for “allergy alert” earrings are strictly forbidden. Women- same like men and a engagement ring where that said ring would be counted as one ring.

Can a female PO wear a Hijab? Yes with written permission from the COP.

What supposed to happen when a FDO enters a station?

What are the requirements of male PO when in uniform? (shaving)

How should female PO wear their hair? The hair on the head shell not be word lower than the nape of the neck.

Disciplinary offence know at least 4-5

SO 8 Paying of compliments-

Definition of a salute- Is a Gesture of mutual respect.

Which officers are entitled to a salute? FDO’s

Who should a PO salute to:

(i) Their Excellency’s, the President and spouse.

(ii) The Honourable Prime Minister.

(iii) The Chief Justice

(iv) President of the Senate

(v) Speaker of the House of Representatives

(vi) Members of Cabinet

(vii) Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly

(viii) Ministers of State

SDO and FDO functions when the flag is being hoisting and lowering of the national and ttps flag and when the anthem is being played- FDO’s in uniform shall salute when the anthem is being played and all SDO’s shall stand at attention. All members of the TTPS shall salute while the National Flag is being raised, lowered or carried on parade. SDO’s shall stand at attention.

When a PO can be exempted from paying compliments (3 occasions)- When in control of any mechanically propelled vehicle that is in motion, engaged in directing traffic, on any other duty that requires an officer’s full attention. Eg. (crowd control).

SO 11-

Duties of a PO officer (4 duties)-

1. Shall preserve the peace and detect crimes and other breaches of the law.

2. May summon before a summary court a person who he reasonably suspects of committing an offence.

3. May prosecute a person who commits any offence.

4. Shall serve and execute at any time, including Sundays, all processes which he may be directed to serve or execute.

5. Shall repress internal disturbances.

6. Shall generally do and perform all the duties appertaining to the office of a constable.

Duties of a Patrol Officer:

1. Crime prevention, record reports and investigations

2. Criminal apprehension

3. Maintaining law and order

4. Regulating traffic and investigating motor vehicle accidents

5. Engage and support members of the public in relation to issues affecting their communities and take the appropriate action.

Modes/types of patrol- Foot, Mobile, Mounted, Canince, Aerial, Motorcycle, Bicycle, Marine.

Definition of Beat- refers to any designated street, road or area for which a police officer is responsible to patrol during his tour.

Patrol- refers to the movement by a PO within a designated area (land, sea or air) for the purpose of preserving the peace, engaging citizens, detecting offences, protecting lives and property.

Designated area- Land, Sea or Air

What registers and books are to be completed after a patrol? Patrol Register and Station Diary.

Day- (6:00am-6:00pm), Night- (6:00pm-6:00am)

Who determines the beats of patrol in a division? The Snr Supt of the division/ Divisional Commander.

SO 16-

Define Pocket Diary- refers to an official diary approved by the Commissioner of Police and issued to all police officers.

Keeping of the Pocket Diary- entries shall be made directly in the PD, all errors are to be crossed out with a single and initialed, persons making reports should be required to sign the pocket diary entries after they have been read over to them, the time of each entry shall be noted in the margin in the same line where the entry starts.

The purpose of the PD- is the PO’s best safeguard against allegations of dishonesty and acting in bad faith when performing his/her duties.

The destruction of pocket diaries- all completed PD shall be digitalized by the department responsible for Information and Communication Technology and retained indefinitely. The actual PD shall be retained indefinitely in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act at a location designated by the COP.

Occasions to produce a pocket diary:

(a) to the Second Division officer-in-charge station/branch/Section/Unit every

day;

(b) when returning to a station off duty or from leave;

(d) when visited on duty by a senior officer;

(e) to the prosecutor with conduct of the matter when attending court orderly

room, court and disciplinary tribunal;

(f) on any other occasion at the request of a senior

SO 17 Station diary-

Define SD- refers to an official register wherein entries relating to reports, occurrences, observations at Sections/Branches/Stations/Units, and the movements of persons, arms and ammunition and other articles are chronologically recorded.

Keeping of the SD- Make the entry in blue or black ink in a neat, clean and legible manner.

Standard Entries (6)

1. Hoisting and Lowering of the Flags (6:00am & 6:00pm)

2. Time Check (6:00am-7:00am)

3. Telephone Check (6:00am-7:00)

4. Wireless Check (6:00am-7:00am)

5. Weather Report (7:00am)

6. SDO I/C Certificate. (6:00am)

7. Arms and Ammunition Check (before 10:00am)

5 columns in the SD- Number, Reference Number, Subject, Hour, Nature of Record.

SO 38-

Define Charge Room- refers to that area of a police station where the movements of police officers are recorded, prisoners are processed, books and records designated by the COP are kept, members of the public make enquiries, and reports are investigated.

Reception Area- refers to that area attached to a police station where all books and records of the station are kept and maintained in a manner directed by the Commissioner.

Know the 2 main duties of a PO in the charge room- interview persons and record reports and to record/monitor the movements of PO in and out of the station.

Duties of the CR sentry:

1. interview persons and record reports;

2. record the movements of persons, including police officers in and out of the station; (c)

3. answer the telephone in accordance with instructions as set out in standing order 39; (d)

4. record telephone messages and wireless communications inclusive of telephone tolls in the register

5. send telephone messages and transmit wireless communications

6. keep the wireless communications on at all times

7. inform the Second Division officer-in-charge of the charge room of all serious reports and occurrence

8. classify the reports and record them in the relevant registers

9. assist in the processing of prisoners, e.g. searching and fingerprinting

10. visit cells once every hour or as directed and record such visits immediately thereafter in the station diary

11. process applications for certificates of character

12. hoist and lower flags at station

Duties of a SDOi/c:

1. verify and sign the handover

2. detail an adequate number of sentries for charge room and compound duties

Duties of a Compound Sentry: KAR

1. keep out intruders

2. repel external attacks

3. alert personnel in the police station of any impeding danger.

Pay attention to section 46 (powers of arrest)*

Arrest- is an act, which deprives the arrested person of his liberty by taking him into lawful custody in order that he may appear before a court to be dealt with according to law.

Considerations for arresting a person- Was an offence committed?, Is it an offence for which you have a power to arrest?, is this the person who committed the offence?

Further considerations- The public’s safety, the likelihood of the person absconding, the suspect’s safety, the nature of the offence committed, the preservation of evidence.

Steps when effecting an arrest:

1. Identify yourself as a police officer via your police identification card.

2. Tell the person that he/she is under arrest and, if necessary, touch, hold and seize the body of the person.

3. Tell the person what offence he/she is being arrested for.

4. Caution the person in accordance with the Judges’ Rules and note their reply, if any.

5. Tell the person of his/her constitutional rights and note their request, if any.

6. Search the person.

7. Convey the arrested person to the police station via the shortest possible route.

Care and Custody of a prisoner,

Ratio of PO for a prisoner- at least 1 PO for 1 Prisoner, at least 2 PO’s for 2-5 Prisoners, at least 3 PO’s for 6-10 Prisoners.

2 PO’s when searching in cell.

Time to be fed:

Breakfast: 7:30am

Lunch: 12:30pm

Dinner: 5:30pm

When should they be searched? on arrest, on arrival at the police station and

immediately before being placed in a cell and again on being taken from the cell.

numerical strength of escorts, the rights of a prisoner (know at least 5)

SO 26 Property-

The 4 types of property- General Property, Found Property, Prisoner Property and Dangerous Drug Property.

Who could be the general property keeper? Cpl and above.

Who can be appointed as the dangerous drug property manager? An Inspector and above.

REPORTS:

Definition- A report may be defined as a document prepared to accomplish precise goals. It is usually written to order and can be a formal or official written account of an incident, action or investigation.

2 types of Reports: 1. Made at station and 2. To a senior.

Elements: Introduction, Body/Discussion, Conclusion/Summary and Recommendation.

Principles of a Report- Clear, Complete, Concise, Accurate, Prompt and Self-Explanatory.

Structure of a Report:

St James Police Station.

Western Main Road,

St. James.

Monday 8th June 2026.

To: Senior Superintendent of Police, ‘Western Division’

u.f.s. S.D.O. i/c St James Police Station

From: No. 20111 WPC FRANCIS

Date: Monday 21st August, 2023

Subject: Assault by beating involving Wendell Lewis and Peter Chan

Statements:

Definition- A “Statement” refers to the information given, whether oral or written made by a person concerning a matter under investigation.

Types of Statements-

1. Witness/Victim Statement

2. Dying Declaration

3. Statement Under Caution (Judges’ Rules)

Purposes/Reasons of recording statements:

1. To elicit all available information from a witnesses

2. To convey all available information to police authority

3. To determine what action should be taken

4. To assist in the examination of witnesses at court

5. To justify the action taken by police

8 Points of TURNBULL

A- Amount of time under observation – How long seen?

D- Distance – How far away?

V- Visibility – What were the lighting conditions like at the time?

O-Obstruction – Was observation impeded?

K- Known or seen before – Ever seen before? If so, where and when?

A- Any reason to remember – If seen before but only occasionally, any special reason for remembering the suspect?

T- Time lapse – How long has elapsed since seeing the suspect and subsequent identification to Police?

E- Error or material discrepancy – Is there any difference between description given and the persons actual appearance?

Certificate:

I hereby certify that I took this statement from JUNIOR TIM at Besson Street Police Station, on Tuesday 10th July 2026. He read it over/I read it over to him, he said it was correct and signed it/he made his marks/refused to sign it. WAYNE SANCHEZ Police Constable 13139 20.06.06

Format for Statement:

Point Fortin Police Station.

Huapo Cap-de-Ville Road,

Point Fortin.

Monday 8th June, 2026.

JOHN DOE states…….

Missing Person:

“Missing Person” refers to a person who has not been seen or heard from and is reported missing by a person interested in or responsible for that other person’s welfare, notwithstanding the time that person has not been seen or heard from or expected to have been seen or heard from.

Duties of a Police Officer receiving a Report of MP:

1. (a) record the report in the Station Diary, which should include – a. the name and address of the person making the report; b. the name, address, and description of the missing person; c. a description of the clothes the missing person was wearing when last seen; d. when and where the missing person was last seen; e. places or relatives frequently visited by the missing person;

2. (b) obtain a photograph of the missing person where practicable;

3. (c) inform the Second Division Officer in charge of the Station/Criminal Investigations Department Office and the Officer in charge of the Anti Kidnapping Squad, and the Homicide Bureau of Investigation;

4. (d) transmit the description of the missing person to the Second Division Officer in charge of the Police Control for circulation throughout the Service;

5. (e) enter the report in the “Missing Persons Register” in quadruplicate.

Duties of the Investigator:

1. (a) ensure that all relevant information is recorded in the “Missing Person Register”;

2. (b) disseminate the “Missing Person Register” forms as follows: i. the original, to the Officer in charge of the Criminal Records Office, within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of the report; ii. the duplicate, to the Officer in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of the report. iii. the triplicate, to be retained by him and form part of his missing person investigation file; iv. the quadruplicate, to remain in the register;

3. (c) record, on the upper portion at the back of each form any previous history of unaccounted absence in excess of twenty-four (24) hours;

4. (d) record, on the lower portion at the back of the quadruplicate beneath the history of the missing person the “action taken” by the investigator when investigating the report. The “Action Taken” column should be headed as shown hereunder:

5. (e) where the missing person has been located, he shall – i. interview that person and record a statement from him; ii. fill out the relevant portion of the quadruplicate form in the register and the triplicate in his possession; iii. submit, within forty-eight (48) hours of locating the missing person, the file to the Officer in charge of the Divisional Criminal Investigations Department; iv. where, after a period of one year, the missing person has not been located, submit the Missing Person File with a covering report, to the Officer in charge of the Divisional Criminal Investigations Department for filing; v. where information is received that the missing person has been kidnapped, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad must be informed.

Who needs to be contacted when received a Report of MP?

1. Command Center

2. Homicide Beurea of Investigation (HBI)

3. Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU)

4. CID/CRO

Who can Close or Cancel a report of MP?

A FDO alone.

What are the grounds to cancel or close a MP report?

Cancelled- when a missing person has been located and a criminal offence is disclosed.

Closed- when a missing person has been located and no criminal offence is disclosed.

“Criminal Prosecution” refers to the instituting of criminal proceedings against an offender in a Court of Law. The presentation of such cases may be undertaken by:

(a) Court prosecutors (police officers)

(b) (b) State attorneys

Exhibits: An exhibit means anything having bearing on, or that is relevant to, the matter under investigation.

How much days you have to submit your initial case file? 7 days

Types Of Summons and Warrants.

Summons- “Summons” refers to a document issued by a Magistrate or Justice of the Peace commanding a person to attend a Court of Law at a time, date and place mentioned therein.

Types of Summons:

(a) Defendant

(b) Witness

(d) Affiliation

(e) Ejectment

(f) Summons to show cause.

Summonses to be served upon the person named therein shall be effected in the following manner, not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the date of hearing: (a) by personal service; (b) if he cannot be found, by leaving the original document with an adult at the usual or last known address.

Proof of Service: By an affidavit which is written on the back of the duplicate, not less than 24 hours before the date of hearing.

Unserved Summons: shall be returned to the court of issue not less than 48 hours before the DOH

Warrant: “Warrant” refers to a document issued by competent authority, upon information on oath, directing a person or persons named therein to apprehend a person or to enter premises to conduct a search or to seize articles mentioned therein.

Types of Warrants:

(a) First instance warrant (F.I.)- It is issued for the apprehension of a defendant/accused, It can be executed anytime and anywhere, The warrant need not be in their possession but should be obtained and read to the prisoner at the first opportunity, If it becomes necessary to use force when entering a building to arrest a person for whom a First Instance Warrant has been issued, the arresting officer must have the warrant in his possession;

(b) Time allowed commitment warrant (T.A.C.)- It is issued for the apprehension of a defendant/accused who is in default of the payment of a fine imposed by a court in lieu of a prison term

(c) Search warrant- ” authorizes police officers to enter and search the premises named in the warrant for evidence, stolen articles or any other thing unlawfully obtained

(d) Affiliation/maintenance warrant- is issued for the arrest of a parent who is in default of child/children support payment to the Court ///// A “Maintenance Warrant” is issued for the arrest of a husband or wife who is in default of maintenance payment made payable to the Court;

(e) Remand warrant-authorizes the relevant authorities to keep in custody the person named in the warrant and to produce him before the court on the date and time specified

(f) Distress warrant- It is issued for the seizure and sale of moveable property belonging to a person who is in default of the payment of a fine imposed by the Court

(g) Ejectment warrant- It is issued by a Court to expel a tenant from premises named in the warrant.

NEED TO GET THE 4 GUIDELINES (FAST)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:

“Domestic Violence” refers to the physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial abuse committed by a person against a spouse, child and any other person who is a member of the household or a dependent.

“Protection Order” refers to an Order made by a Court, containing a set of prohibitions or directions outlining on what a Respondent/Defendant should or should not engage (Section 5)

“Interim Protection Order” is made to afford protection to an applicant pending the hearing and determination of the proceedings (Section 8)

What is the duration for an interim protection order? 21 days

What is a bond of good behavior? Refers to an order by the court requiring the defendant to be of good behavior for a period not exceeding 6 months.

Who can apply for a protection order??????????

What gives a police officer permission to enter a premises without a warrant? Sec. 23(1) of the DV act.

What is 4 things that must be included in a report?????

Definition of Mentally ill person- is a person who is suffering from such a disorder of the mind that he requires care, supervision, treatment and control or any combination of treatment of these problems for his own protection or welfare, or for the protection or welfare of others.

Persons who can treat with a mentally ill person- registered mental nurse, psychiatric social workers, district health visitors, other nurses with equivalent training and experience as district health visitors.

R-Forms:

R1- Incident form

R2- deals with the institution/ individual who is making the report

R2A- Deal with Suspects/ Accused

R3- Property (Breaking offences/ Larceny)

R4-Deals with offences against the person

R5- Deals with Motor Vehicles lost/stolen/recovered/abandoned/seized

R6- Deals with Fraud Offences

R7- Missing Persons

R8- Domestic Violence

R9- Road Traffic Accidents

R9A - Breathalyzer

Follow up/ Conclusion Form

SO39- Telecommunication. (Talk polite)