Statement by Commissioner of Police Reynell Frazer
Royal Virgin Islands Police Force
Joint Press Conference – Crime Fighting Initiatives and Challenges
October 13, 2008

~~Adz:Right~~ Roadtown Tortola - Your Excellency the Governor, Honourable Premier, other members of Government, members of the press, Good Morning,

Within recent weeks, there has been a growing concern about the overall climate of crime within our Territory, the latest being the fatal wounding of Roland Willock in Crablot last Wednesday evening and the double homicide in the early hours of Sunday morning in Josiah’s Bay.  I extend my condolences to the families of all of the victims. It is worth reiterating to the families and to those responsible for these crimes that we will not rest in our efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. I add that members of my own Force have been affected by the most recent tragedy.

As we speak, my officers are linking into a number of public and private sources of information both locally and aboard and are linking forensic information with intelligence records. Be assured that we are actively pursuing all lines of enquiry and potential leads and are speaking to a number of persons of interest.

In this endeavour we welcome information about any suspicious or unusual activities which were witnessed in the Crablot, East End or Josiah’s Bay areas during the day or night prior to any of the incidents. With one exception these recent murders are clearly premeditated in nature. Therefore they were planned before they were executed and likely required an operation or staging ground. Any information provided may be critical to supporting our investigation and ultimately will enable us to solve these brutal crimes. 

It is the primary aim of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, and emphasized with the Government’s strategic plan, to ensure the national security of this Territory and to maintain the Territory as a safe place for its residents and visitors. In order to meet this crucial responsibility the Force must continually change and evolve.

We have therefore had to change not only the way we view ourselves and the way we function individually and collectively but the way we view criminality and, as a matter of course, the strategy used in our fight to maintain this Territory’s security.

Without fear of contradiction, we are seeing more criminals today who are clever, brazen, cold and less concerned about human casualty in their pursuit. These are traits that are unusual and fearsome in our society.
 
The most recent murders bring the total homicides in 2008 to eight, compared with six homicides in 2007. Of the six cases in 2007, three have been solved. To date, one formal arrest has been made in connection with the 2008 murders.

We are seeing a worrying trend in several of these recent murders of premeditation, which adds a greater degree of challenge to already complex investigations. This reality has not dampened our pursuit. We remain determined and committed in bringing those perpetrators to justice. But in order to do so, we have had to review our strategy.

Detailed investigative activity, such as those we are now conducting must be part of a bigger plan which includes strategies to minimize the risk of such events occurring and if they do occur, ensure that the force has the capacity and capability to tackle them.

In our new strategy, we have identified key policing priorities on which we must focus in order to improve and strengthen the national security service we provide to the Territory.

One priority is to provide the necessary training to enhance crime fighting and detection capabilities and to ensure that our officers are able to utilize the most modern crime fighting tactics. We welcomed five of the seven U.K officers to assist us in that training.   Two additional officers will be here by mid November. Each UK officer will partner with local officers and as a team they will have an opportunity to share techniques for improving investigation and intelligence gathering.

On a wider scale, the U.K. officers will also provide training and mentoring to groups of local officers on murder investigation, crime scene management, maritime policing and covert policing techniques.

I wish to use this opportunity to dispel any misconceptions. Another senior officer and I have personally interviewed each U.K. officer. They know that their tasks are to facilitate the work of our officers and provide a fresh pair of eyes not, only to the overall crime situation but to our unsolved crimes. These officers recognize that they are here for only two years and within that timeframe are keen to share their skills and knowledge. None of these officers will be occupying established positions in the Force, neither are they here to take over anybody’s positions.

 
Secondly, the Force is in the throes of restructuring. At the end of the process we expect to have an organization that will deliver on our present and future priorities. The new structure will directly link positions and units within the Force to an objective within the strategic plan, thereby holding officers more accountable and responsible for meeting the goals of the force. We see this move as critical to fulfilling our mandate and critical to getting the best work out of our officers. Once finalized, this structure will enhance delivery of service to the public.

In shaping this structure, it was presented to members of the Police Welfare Committee for consultation. The committee’s recommendations will be taken into consideration with a view to improving and enhancing the structure. It is unfortunate that during this consultation phase, one or two officers decided to share their views on the initial proposal publicly through the media. I do not believe that this action has been in the best interests of the force.

The Force deals with complex work, and is staffed by a mix of people of different ages, nationalities, social backgrounds and views. This diversity gives us strength but at times can cause internal challenges which we must manage and address.   But I have to say that the majority of my officers are committed and I commend them for their delivery of service and for their support in enabling the Force to achieving its mission of maintaining the BVI as a safe environment for all people. There is clear evidence of this commitment and of the success that dedication can bring.

The Territory has seen a reduction in armed robberies targeting business in 2008. We attribute this reduction to a number of arrests that were made during meticulous police operations between March and September of 2007. Several persons were arrested and later convicted of firearm offences, which were ultimately taken off the street.

In our efforts to ensure that past crimes are not forgotten and that the perpetrators are tracked down and arrested, we have arrested individuals this year in connection with a murder in 2006 and we are currently negotiating the extradition of an individual in the USA who is of interest to us in connection with an armed robbery at the National Bank of the Virgin Islands.

The final activity I will mention, addresses a major strategic priority, which is to enhance relations between the Police and the community. We have hosted a series of community meetings around the Territory to present our way forward on a number of policing issues and to elicit ideas on how we could best meet needs within each community.

While community attendance at these meetings can always be improved the overall outcome has been encouraging. We believe this move has enhanced our crime fighting abilities, reduce the fear of crime and concerns about police confidentiality. In fact, we have already seen results. 

I am pleased to say that despite concerns of Police confidentiality, more members of the community are gradually coming forward to assist with information, and showing overwhelming support for our efforts to tackle crime. Because of the information from the public, combined with solid police work by officers we were able to make swift arrests in relation to the armed robbery in Purcell Estate and also arrest individuals in connection with a spate of burglaries of businesses around Road Town.  I want to publicly thank and commend community minded members who came forward and assisted in solving these cases. They opted to take a stand against lawlessness within our community.

Also, I have to thank both the Governor and Premier who have given their support to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and in doing so have pledged to provide the needed assistance to increase our science and technology capabilities, improve on our critical police station infrastructure, replace and increase our vehicle fleet, officers and other assets that are needed to carry through with our strategy plan.

Thank You