Trinidad: Police Left 'Blind' as Vehicle Check System Down for Over a Month

Trinidad and Tobago: Police officers on the front lines in Trinidad have said that they have been left operating ‘blind’ as the key system used by them to run real time checks on suspicious vehicles has been down for more than a month. Officials have called it a serious safety risk and an operational embarrassment as they are unable to make crucial decisions precisely.  

The system is notably managed through the Command Centre and allows officers to verify vehicle registration, ownership and check for criminal red flags such as stolen status or links to the ongoing investigations. However, several sources working within the force have said that the officers attempting to contact the centre have been told that the services are offline but didn’t disclose any clear timeline for its restoration.  

One of the officers, whose identity is held secret called the issue a ‘major embarrassment’ as he emphasized that they are not even able to do the basic investigations.  

“We’re out here trying to do our jobs, and we can’t even get basic intel on a car we stop,” he said.  

Crime on Rise in Trinidad and Tobago  

The outage comes at a time when crime is on the rise across islands with daily reports of kidnaps, robberies, thefts and shooting. Identifying vehicles during such criminal activities become important as it help trace the suspects path and making an arrest. Officers have called that the system is not just a convenience, but a vital layer of protection as it provides crucial information that help prevent dangerous encounters and allow swift arrests.  

Without the availability of a perfectly working system, the frontline officers are relying on limited alternatives which are difficult to deal with and hinders a smooth flow investigation. Some of these alternatives include using radio for support and doing physical searches and checks for vehicle documentation, which is time consuming and offer relatively less insights into vehicle’s criminal status.