FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM DESTROYS POLICE FILES
A system designed to fight fire instead unleashed a flood at the Police Headquarters in Port-of-Spain on Monday, where a ruptured fire suppression system flooded a secure records room. The TTPS confirms that power outages triggered the system’s waterline to fail, rendering many physical files irrecoverable.
Among the documents destroyed are crucial Firearm Users Licence files, HR documents, and administrative documents. While basic digital records of FUL applications exist, the original supporting documents were not digitised, as a new system was weeks from launch.
Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro admits the building has long been plagued by electrical issues but reassures the public that over 55,000 firearm files remain secure. The TTPS will soon publish a list of destroyed file numbers—not names—and will ask affected applicants to assist in recreating their records. The Service says it’s now fast-tracking its move to a fully digital system to prevent any recurrence.
