Report those police who don’t produce ID!
That’s the advice from National Security Minister Stuart Young on options available to the public when police officers refuse to produce identification during the execution of their duties.
Young spoke about the situation in the Senate yesterday replying to Opposition queries.
When members of the public deal with uniformed police in marked police vehicles who refuse to produce ID, Young said the person in question should note the date, time and place of the situation as well as the number of the vehicles and report it to the Police Professional Standards Bureau or Police Complaints Authority as soon as possible.
If the officer is not in police uniform and is using an unmarked car, the person should report the matter to the nearest police stations ASAP and get a receipt for their report.
Young said gold and silver badges will soon be used by First and Second Division police officers respectively to identify themselves.
In August, the Police Social and Welfare Association had proposed metal badges to identify police. The plan for badges was raised soon after the Police Commissioner assumed office in September. Young took the issue a step further yesterday detailing what badges which officers will get.
“The badges will have officers’ names and regimental numbers and will be easily identified by members of the public. They will be used as TTPS identification going forward.”
He said the tender for supply of badges was issued and replies were being received. He assumed evaluation would be next and then a contract will be awarded.
He also revealed that 27.4 million has been stolen from customers in card “skimming” fraud in the last 22 months alone.
Young said police had received a total of 3,044 reports of card skimming over January 1, 2017, to November 15, 2018, with a total of $27.4 million being skimmed illegally.
Education Minister Anthony Garcia, also replying on another question, said no disciplinary action was initiated against students who were arrested during the October protest at UWI.
He said in light of “circumstances leading to the protest,” the police’s “intervention”, and legal processes, the campus decided not to apply any internal disciplinary measures.