BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SIX Constables and one Sergeant of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force were yesterday (Nov. 14) honoured and awarded for giving 140 years combined yeoman and dedicated service to the people of the twin-island Federation.
The six officers, Sergeant Ian Godwin, Constables Marvin Thompson, Gregory Hanley, Mark Handley, Granville Chapman, Ian Hanley and Ellis Dorset, had each given over 20 years-plus of their lives to serve and protect citizens and residents of and visitors to St. Kitts and Nevis.
The simple but highly significant Award Ceremony took place at the Police Training Complex, Basseterre and was graced with the presence of the Federation’s Governor-General, His Excellency Sir Edmund Lawrence; his predecessor Sir Cuthbert Sebastian; Retired Commissioner of Police Austin Williams; Her Worship Paulina Hendrickson; Deputy Commissioner Stafford Liburd; Assistant Commissioner Ian Queeley; Superintendent Lionel Moore; Retired Superintendent Joseph Cotton; and relatives and well-wishers of the awardees.
The Ceremony was hosted by Larry Vaughan, whose melodious baritone voice reverberated off the walls with his singing of the National Anthem, and the Invocation was given by Pastor Ben Browne.
In his address to the awardees, among whom were three absentees, Commissioner of Police Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn was high in praise of the service they rendered and expressed that others within the Force should strive to emulate them.
“I am here this afternoon to support these officers and, based on what I have been told, these officers have more than 100 years of law enforcement experience here in the Federation. You can’t buy it in a book, you can’t buy it in a store and you can’t buy it anywhere. They had to live it every day and they are still here, which means that they know what it takes to be a police officer in this Federation and they are the examples that others should try to be in terms of longevity within law enforcement.”
He congratulated the awardees on behalf of the Force and the Anti-Crime Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister and stated, “I want to thank you for your service to this Federation and to this Police Force.”
The four officers present at the Ceremony were each presented a plaque by the Governor-General and Commissioner Walwyn after their profiles were read.
