Young: Police to get badges

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young says the Police Service has put out tenders for badges for officers.

He said the service has received replies for the supply of badges – gold for the first division and silver for the all second-division officers. The badges will include the officer's name and regimental number, which will be easily identified by members of the public.

"These badges will be utilised as the TTPS' identification going forward," he said.

Opposition Senator Wade Mark asked the time frame for procuring the badges but Young said he did not have the information, as that would fall under the Police Service. He added replies to the tenders have been received and he presumed evaluation was taking place.

He was responding to a question in the Senate yesterday from Mark on the options available to the public if officers refuse to produce their police identification.

He said the Commissioner of Police has indicated should a situation arise where an officer refuses to identify himself or herself to a member of the public and the officer is in uniform and is driving a marked police vehicle, the member of the public is advised immediately to comply with all instructions noting the time and place the incident occurred and any other pertinent information, such as the vehicle number.

"And as soon as possible, report this to the Police Professional Standards Bureau. A complaint may also be made to the Police Complaints Authority."

Young said if the person is not in uniform or in a marked police vehicle,the member of the public is advised to go to the nearest police station, report the incident and obtain a receipt for the report.

The question from Mark comes a week after the kidnapping of UWI manager Maria Dass-Supersad by men with a bulletproof vest with a police emblem and camouflage clothing. Dass was subsequently rescued and subsequently held.

Also yesterday, Opposition Senator Taharqa Obika asked about the total amount of money stolen via skimming (a type of credit card and ATM fraud). Young reported from January 1, 2017 to November 15, 2018. the police had received a total of 3,044 reports of card-skimming amounting to $27,482,292.22 skimmed illegally.