'Alarming!'

POLICE COMMISSIONER Owen Ellington has read the riot act to members of the force over their use and care of the vehicles assigned to them.

In the latest Force Orders, Ellington chided the cops over the frequent accidents involving police vehicles and the poor maintenance of these units.

"The frequency with which service vehicles are involved in accidents has reached alarming proportions," Ellington said.

"A review of a number of recent accidents has revealed some laughable and unacceptable explanations ... especially when assessed against the nature and extent of the damage done," Ellington added.

He declared that the explanations had given rise to suspicion that drivers and their passengers had been fabricating stories as to how these accidents occurred.

According to the commissioner, the frequent accidents are having a debilitating effect on the capacity of the force to respond to calls and frustrating the efforts to suppress crime and violence.