Chin Lee to probe police uniform bobol

THE SYSTEM of sub-contracting the work of making police uniforms to a wide sector of people may be one of the reasons that police uniforms are falling into the hands of criminal elements. On Sunday, there was a $50,000 robbery at the 24-Hour Plus Convenience Store at Medford’s Gas Station in Chaguanas. Two of the bandits were dressed in police garb with bullet-proof vests with the words “POLICE” written at the back and front. Early last Friday morning, officers of the Western Division arrested a Diego Martin man and seized a police and army uniform. If the people in these uniforms are not bona fide policemen, a source said, it means that the criminals are getting the uniforms “on the outside.”

Speaking to Newsday on the condition of anonymity, a contractor who is versed in military and industrial uniforms, and who once made tunics for the police service but has not had a contract in about two years, was critical of the system where sub-contractors were also getting the work. He said that the Ministry of National Security awards the contracts for uniforms of the protective services and that the Ministry needs to pay closer attention to the security of the contractors’ work. The contractor also blamed the problem on the tendering procedure. He said contracts are awarded to agents who do not manufacture and then they (agents) sub-contract the work to people from whom they make a profit. “It is a ‘vie-ke-vie’ situation,” he said.

Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee said yesterday that he has ordered an “investigation and review” of the inventory system that is currently in place with respect to uniforms. Chin Lee said he is to meet with Acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs to work out a more stringent control of uniforms and equipment similar to that of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) where every item of uniform and equipment is accounted for. With respect to the making of uniforms, the military contractor said that the grey material used to make police shirts is very expensive and has to be imported from Bannister Brothers, a London-based company. But he said that “look alike” material was available locally and it could be that the criminals were able to buy “ready-to-wear” police uniforms. However, another source stated that it was the policemen themselves who were engaged in the criminal acts while wearing their own uniforms, including the bullet-proof vests. Avis Weekes, secretary to Elite Limited, of Diamond Vale Estate, told Newsday that they have been contracted to make the male police shirts. “We get the order from the Ministry of National Security and when it (order) is completed, it goes straight back to the Ministry,” Weekes said, making it clear that they do not distribute the police shirts to anyone else. A senior police officer told Newsday that when a police officer’s uniform is worn out, they are supposed to return the uniform to the police stores.  On average, the officer said, policemen are issued three shirts and two pants.

If the uniforms are lost or stolen, however, the senior officer stated, the officer in question is required to write a report and depending on the circumstances, can be charged departmentally after an internal probe. There is rising concern at the number of instances where criminal acts are reported to be committed by men in police uniforms as well as people driving cars with flashing blue lights similar to those used by the police. Sunday’s daring daylight raid at Medford’s Gas Station was the latest of such incidents. Two armed men dressed in police wear, including bullet-proof vests robbed manageress Ingrid Medford of $50,000. They were two of four who staged the robbery.  A third man entered the store in civilian clothing while a fourth waited in a silver Almera vehicle. Police said they have found workable prints in that vehicle which was found abandoned near the Chaguanas Police Station a short while after the robbery. Senior officers of the Central Division said eyewitnesses had told them that the men were heading into Port-of-Spain, and as a result, roadblocks were set up along that route.  However, the officer said, the men had made an about turn and made their getaway in a green vehicle. No one had been held up to late evening. Investigations spearheaded by Sr Supt Philip Carmona are continuing.