Nasinu Town Council Reviews Enforcement Officers Incident
“We have been made aware of a video circulating on social media showing an interaction between NTC enforcement officers and a vendor selling vegetables,” Mr Magnus said.
Friday 16 February 2024 | 15:20
The video clip that went viral showed the incident involving two Nasinu Town Council enforcement officers and a vendor is being reviewed by the Council.
The Nasinu Town Council (NTC) will form an independent committee to investigate the incident involving its enforcement officers captured on video that went viral.
One of the two officers has been sent on paid leave for two weeks to allow for a comprehensive investigation.
A video clip widely shared on social media showed one officer allegedly slapping the person who tried to take the video of the incident.
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Special administrator Felix Magnus said the council will maintain the highest standards of conduct and professionalism in all its operations and interactions with the community.
The video clip that went viral showed the incident involving two Nasinu Town Council enforcement officers and a vendor is being reviewed by the Council.
The council tribunals findings is as follows;
- Breach of Section 69 which explicitly prohibits the obstruction of roadways, footpaths or passages and grants our officers the authority to remove such obstructions to ensure public safety and order.
- The enforcement officer depicted in the video has been placed on paid leave effective immediately. This suspension will remain in place for two weeks to allow for a comprehensive and independent investigation into their conduct.
- A staff meeting was convened to remind all council employees of the importance of adhering to professional standards and the NTC Code of Conduct, especially when interacting with stakeholders and the general public.
This committee will also review the existing procedures for engaging with illegal vendors and suggest improvements.
The council is also committed to working on the following measures to ensure this incident doesn’t happen again.
- The council will develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures for officers interacting with vendors and the public to prevent similar incidents in the future.
- Memorandum of Understanding with the Land Transport Authority to formalize collaboration to address and mitigate hazards posed by illegal vendors to vehicle and pedestrian safety.
- Officers will receive further education on policies, laws, and ethical conduct to ensure respectful, professional, and lawful interactions with the community.
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