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Acting CoP proposes uniform changes to address fake cops - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Acting Police Commissioner Gary Griffith says changes to the police uniform are one of the proposals being made to tackle the trend of criminals using police uniforms to target victims.

Over the weekend security footage circulated on WhatsApp showed a group of men in police uniforms driving to a house in Cascade and asking the owner to let them in.

The owner of the house refused and the men left in a Toyota Aqua.

Responding to the incident at a media conference on Monday, Griffith said the issue of criminals posing as police officers was a concern and would be addressed with body cameras and changes to the uniform.

"From a police perspective, one of the things I am pushing heavily for – and I have the request for the budgetary allocation for next year – is to ensure every police officer has a body camera. Suppose those were really police officer? They must be made accountable.

"Those body cameras – if it is mandatory that every police officer has a body camera, whatever happens, the police officer will now have to be accountable for their actions.

"I am also pushing heavily to change the uniform of the police. I made the request so the uniform is changed in a way to make it very difficult to replicate.We need to ensure the police have a very specific-type uniform."

Griffith reminded the public that police did not have a right to enter a home without a warrant unless it was in pursuit of someone or a matter of life and death.

DCP McDonald Jacob said before going on operations, police officers were advised to have at least one uniformed officer to verify who they were.

"You will have investigators working in plain clothes, but if they know they are going on a planned raid, they need to go with police in uniform.

"Someone coming with plain clothes or with a cap marked 'Police' on it – people should recognise that is not a police officer."

The post Acting CoP proposes uniform changes to address fake cops appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

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