Parents and other adults are being warned they can be arrested if they incite their children to be unruly towards police officers. The warning came following a video on Facebook of a 15-year-old Tranquillity Government Secondary School student accosting a uniformed police officer on Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain, on Monday.
The girl became rowdy when the officer sought to arrest another person. After the child was seen pointing in the officer’s face in a slightly threatening manner, she was arrested along with the man police had initially come to arrest.
During the arrest, those looking on shouted that the male officer had no legal authority to arrest the teen and that only women officers should arrest women.
Addressing the issue during the weekly press briefing yesterday, public information officer ASP Michael Pierre said anyone inciting a person to commit an offence which is the breach of the peace or the assaulting of a police officer, whatever emanates from that, is an offence.
The teenage girl pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, using obscene language and disorderly behaviour when she appeared in court on Monday and will be sentenced on May 3.
Two other teens, a 17-year-old and 18-year-old Jordan Pierre who was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest, are to re-appear on May 3.
“This public display of indiscipline and lack of respect of police in the lawful discharge of their duty is vey disturbing to the TTPS and no doubt to right-thinking citizens.
“We wish to remind the public, police are tasked with upholding the law and that is including arresting people. The arrestable age for anyone committing a crime is over the age of 8. We, therefore, remind persons who are in authority to educate their children about breaking the law and the consequences of it,” Pierre said.
He added that it was a public misconception that male police officers were not allowed to put their hands on females who committed an offence. He reiterated that the police youth clubs were perfectly suited to deal with children and young adults in the management of their anger and conflict resolutions.
He added that the youth clubs could also assist parents in raising their children through the provision of counselling.