The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL kvirgil@tribunemedia.net A SPECIAL unit has been created within the police force with the sole purpose of investigating the campaigning practices of the PLP and DNA, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell claimed yesterday. Mr Mitchell said according to his information, several officers from other areas of the force have been reassigned to this "political" police unit. "There is great reason to believe that police officers have been reassigned to dabble in political matters on behalf of the government," said Mr Mitchell. "There are consistent and persistent stories by back channels of the use of the Special Branch for reasons which do not have to do with the security of the state, but with the politics of the government." While Carl Bethel, chairman of the governing FNM, said Mr Mitchell's claims are false, a police officer told The Tribune last night he was recently assigned to the new unit. Mr Mitchell said the creation of such a unit would support his party's long-held belief that the government, through the Ministry of National Security, has long used security information in the political arena. "People have been calling us behind the scenes saying that they have seen the deployment of police officers in areas that they should not be, involved in matters that they should not be concerned about," said Mr Mitchell. Given an "out of control crime rate", Mr Mitchell said, it is alarming the government would use the police for unrelated matters. "The criticism is directed at the political directorate and that they should resist using the police for things other than what they should be concerned about and that is fighting crime." The Police Staff Association has also been working in ways it should not be, according to Mr Mitchell. "From time to time, the president of the Police Staff Association has been intervening in matters dealing with public policy and not matters dealing with policy in the police force." In early March, the Association's executive chairman Dwight Smith refuted claims by ex-superintendent Keith Bell that the force was too poorly equipped to tackle crime or other challenges with which it has been confronted. Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest could not be reached for comment.