By BIANCA SYMONETTE, Guardian Staff Reporter, bianca@nasguard.com

There could be a delay in getting prisoners to court on time today due to an apparent sick-out at the Central Police Station.

The officers, who are stationed on the cell block and court guard, were reportedly poisoned after eating barracuda.

But according to an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, 13 officers assigned to the cell block and court guard failed to show up for work over the weekend, protesting their supervisors.

The officer said the situation came to a head when the officers were ordered by their supervisors to police a step show held at Arawak Cay on Saturday.

"The officers felt the event was a private engagement and should have required the services of private security," said the officer.

When the officers expressed their concerns they were told the assignment was "Force orders" and they would have to police the event, according to the officer.

But Police Staff Association chairman Inspector Bradley Sands said the step show, among other assignments, were not policed by the Central Police Station officers after they brought in sick slips excusing them from their duties.

According to Sands, some of the officers were given three days and up to two weeks off by physicians.

He said if management did not start listening to the junior officers they could find themselves alone in the police stations.

Sands said the junior officers have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the style of management at the station, but added that it appeared as if their concerns were being ignored.

"There were a lot of officers that failed to show up to work over the weekend and it definitely affected the running operation set for the weekend," said Sands. "This also affected the running of guards on shift with the shift being short due to the amount of officers out sick."

He said there was definitely some frustration among the officers.

"The Force is in a crisis right now because the junior ranks feel like they are not being heard," said Sands. "The officers are now stressed and so when they went to the doctor, the doctor determined that these officers' bodies needed rest and therefore some of them will be out sick for a long time because officers can't work under stressful conditions."

When The Guardian spoke with Acting Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson yesterday he did not indicate whether he was aware of the sick-out at the Central Police Station; however, he said that officers calling in sick was nothing new.

Acting Commissioner Ferguson said once officers have a legitimate health complaint and were given days off by a doctor any time specified on a sick slip would be honored.