In a striking courtroom admission, Deputy Police Commissioner Frankie Joseph has formally alerted the High Court to the severely deficient working environments plaguing the nation’s police force. During the closing proceedings of the criminal assizes in Kingstown, the nation’s second-highest ranking law enforcement official characterized the conditions within multiple stations as “inhumane,” explicitly inviting judicial scrutiny of the Central Police Station’s facilities.
The unprecedented testimony emerged during a special sitting presided over by Justice Rickie Burnett, who extended the traditional court address privileges to include both a jury member and Deputy Commissioner Joseph, in the absence of Police Commissioner Enville Williams. Joseph commenced his remarks by extending seasonal greetings to judicial stakeholders before delivering his damning assessment of institutional neglect.
“Counsel Connell, thank you for those words. Yes, the police have been doing, in my estimation, an exceptional job under very harsh conditions,” Joseph stated, directly addressing the court. The deputy commissioner specifically referenced the historic headquarters on Bay and Hillsboro streets, noting social media had previously documented the deteriorating infrastructure.
Justice Burnett interpreted Joseph’s comments as an official invitation to inspect the facilities, which he immediately accepted. Joseph elaborated that officers provide dual services to “internal customers” (the officers themselves) and “external customers” (the public), noting that substandard working conditions inevitably degrade service quality despite professional training.
Earlier in proceedings, attorney Grant Connell had initiated the discussion by challenging police leadership to advocate more vigorously for their personnel. “Deputy Commissioner, you have to stand up for your men. And if you didn’t want to stand up before, stand up now,” Connell urged, recommending direct appeals to the Prime Minister for infrastructure improvements.
The lawyer provided visceral descriptions of decrepit conditions, comparing Central Police Station’s upper floors to a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean where “you had to dodge the woodlice and look for a plank that you can walk on.” Connell further recalled visiting the Drug Squad base where officers swept rat dung from kitchens while pigeons flew freely through the premises.
These judicial revelations coincide with newly appointed National Security Minister St. Clair Leacock’s ongoing inspections of police facilities since assuming portfolio responsibility on December 2, following the New Democratic Party’s electoral victory on November 27.