Schoolboy pants cut by ‘fashion police’

Some students in the Kingstown area and their parents are trying to unravel a mystery: Who are the persons going around with knives and scissors cutting and ripping the trousers worn by male students?{{more}}

On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, a male student of the Intermediate High School and his father complained to SEARCHLIGHT that the 15-year-old’s school pants were destroyed on Monday, November 10, 2008, by persons in civilian clothes who they believe are police officers.

Over the past two weeks, it is claimed that a group of men has been patrolling, in an apparent attempt to clamp down on the ‘gun mouth’ style of pants which has been gaining popularity, that is, tight fitting pants with a very narrow mouth.

On Wednesday afternoon when SEARCHLIGHT attempted to get photos of students wearing the ‘gun mouth’ style, also called ‘pencil foot’ or ‘gunny’, in the Lower Kingstown Park area, a student of the Dr. J.P. Eustace Memorial Secondary School used the opportunity to complain that last week, a vehicle transporting a group of people he believed to be police officers stopped, and one of the men came out, took a knife and cut the lower portion of his pants.

A student of the Multipurpose Centre in Kingstown also complained to SEARCHLIGHT that persons who he believed to be police officers had come to his school as recently as Tuesday this week and ripped the seams of few students’ pants in the presence of teachers.

When contacted, Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller, told Searchlight that he had made several checks to the relevant departments and they all said that they were unaware of any such operation and that the police had not received any complaints from parents or students.

Chief Education Officer Susan Dougan, also told Searchlight that she had not received any report on the matter.

However, in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT, Selwyn Gibson, of Indian Bay, said his son Anthony came home from the Intermediate High School on Monday afternoon, much earlier than usual, with the legs of his trousers rolled up. He said that his son reported to him that the police had cut the legs of his trousers in the Principal’s Office.

“He said he and some other students went to the Multipurpose Centre to do some studies and the police met the three of them and said: ‘What you all behaving with, having your pants foot like that?’ and picked them up and put them in the police vehicle. He said they asked them what school they attended and took them there in front of the principal and asked for a pair of scissors. He said she (the Principal) gave them one and they began to cut the pants foot,” said Selwyn.

“I would like it to be clear that I do respect the law …I do respect the police force and I respect the school and the rules of the school. I am not knocking those things,” said Selwyn who claims he holds a third degree Black Belt.

However, he questioned: “Who is going to buy back my child’s pants? The pants is ruined. Who is going to pay for it? We don’t find money easily.”

“All I would have really like to see happen is that the officers or teacher call me up and say to me I am sending your son home because his pants is wrong,” said Selwyn, adding that while other people complain about brutality, “that is abuse”.

“Let the school deal with it. An officer had no right to cut my child pants, and I don’t think anybody is going to disagree with me with that,” said Selwyn.

“I just really want to make it clear I am not disrespecting the law or even condoning what my son did. I am just saying they had no right to cut my child pants foot. If I have to take legal action I would,” said an upset Selwyn, claiming that he was going to contact his Lawyer about the matter.

When contacted, Alinda Hypolite, Principal of the Intermediate High School, told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday morning: “I would not like to talk to the press about that

matter.”

SEARCHLIGHT later contacted a tailor who plies his trade in the Kingstown area and he disclosed that over the past two weeks he has had to repair several pairs of pants belonging to students who all claim that their trousers were ripped by police officers.