Police to review use of uniforms

National

Police internal affairs director Robert Ali says police uniforms should not be used to enforce municipal laws but national laws.
Ali said such activities degraded the uniforms and was an abuse of police powers.
He was referring to uniforms being worn by NCDC police to chase betel nut vendors around the city.
He said they had reviewed a memorandum of understanding NCDC had with the Police Department and he would call on them to tell how they would enforce the buai ban law.
He said the uniforms would be restricted.
“NCDC got a MOU with the Police Department but the MOU encompasses other activities not the chasing of betel nut vendors,” Ali said.
“This is a new role that was brought in and was not captured in the MOU. If those activities are happening right now, it automatically infringes on the MOU.”
Ali said the alternative to this under the buai Act was their own enforcement mechanisms.
“They cannot use police uniforms to enforce this law. It is not the national law and is a municipal law for NCDC only, when they need assistance they can call police,” Ali said.
He said there was an Act that if someone was chewing betel nuts in public and spat they could be hauled in before the court and fined.