Retired cop calls it a ‘crying shame’ that, four years after they were promised, Traffic Department still has no breathalyzers

The Traffic Department is still awaiting the arrival of breathalyzers that were promised four years ago, confirms Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rodney Ellis. 

Since 2018, when the Vehicles and Road Traffic Act was amended, the Police were promised that these devices would be imported for their use. The breathalyzer machines were intended to detect persons who were driving while intoxicated.

Ellis, who heads the Traffic Department, says discussions about the devices’ arrival were held as recently as July with the Administration.

Over the years, several excuses – including the COVID-19 pandemic – have been offered to explain why the breathalyzers have never been delivered.

Asked to comment on this situation, a retired officer tells REAL News it is “a crying shame” that this promise has not been realized, given the amount of money the Administration has spent “on other schemes, like the E-books and the concrete bases for street lights they never even put up.”

He points to the number of serious traffic collisions the country has seen over the last two years, including a fatal accident on Sunday morning, and said it is critical that drivers be tested for intoxication.

“You can’t expect traffic officers to do their job properly without the tools,” he grumbled. “This is big-big Police Week, and up to now – nothing to report,” he says in disgust.