Young on camouflage uniform, ‘no one cares’

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young, asked on Wednesday if he felt anyone in the country was concerned about camouflage uniforms a special police unit is wearing and the legalities of its use, answered, “No.”

“No one cares.

People are just happy that the police are working and the perception and fear of crime has gone down.”

The minister made the statement at the Golden Grove Maximum Security Prison in Arouca on the brouhaha over the digital camouflage uniforms being used by the Commissioner of Police’s special unit, Special Response Operation Team (SORT).

Young again said he had given Commissioner Griffith permission to use the uniforms on a temporary basis and he himself felt that the matter was a “non issue.”

But Fixin’ TT head Kirk Waithe says the matter is of national importance and has taken the government and the police service to task.

Waithe sent a complaint to the Police Complaints Authority, saying the police’s use of the camouflage is illegal, and the comissioner’s team, in wearing the uniform, is in breach of the law.

“What we have is a police commissioner who has no regard for due process,” said Waithe,

Waithe also sent a memo to Young saying he has no power to give permission to the CoP, citing section 123 A of the Constitution, which says the commissioner has to act in accordance with the Police Service Act and the regulations in the act.