Click to view full size

THE viral video of a young woman in a formal dress stepping out of a flashing Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) SUV which weeks ago prompted a mixed public reaction and an official investigation has been endorsed by the TTPS as an example of community-based policing.

The video, which made the rounds on social media earlier this month, showed the marked police vehicle (PEJ 379) arriving at an unknown venue with its blue swivel lights flashing before a woman exited from the back left in what appeared to be a graduation or formal gown. Amid backlash from concerned citizens, including some questioning whether the video depicted a misuse of police resources, Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro confirmed an internal review was under way.

In its response via media release on Wednesday, the TTPS said a thorough investigation by Assistant Commissioner of Police South/Central Wayne Mystar determined that the officers involved acted with the permission of the officer in charge of the station.