Temperament of armed cops worrying - Smith

Opposition spokesman on National Security Derrick Smith has indicated that the deaths of two policemen yesterday morning may have resulted from an altercation between the two and not an accident as some reports have suggested.

According to Smith, the deaths of the men under questionable circumstances bring into sharp focus the temperament of police personnel and their capacity to exercise restraint both on and off the job.

He said it raises questions about whether the police force has sufficient safeguards in place to identify members under stress or whose conduct has become high-risk.

According to Smith, police personnel must be made to understand that the responsibilities that come with possessing a firearm are enormous. He is urging Police Commissioner Dr Carl Williams to ensure that officers and other police personnel fully understand their responsibility in order to improve the temperament in the constabulary and levels of restraint exercised by its members.