Claims many cases could be solved but witnesses afraid to put them on paper
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – COMMISSIONER OF POLICE Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn said that St. Kitts and Nevis is one of the safest places in the Caribbean and for the month of October crime on Nevis has been down by 20 percent.
The Commissioner was at the time addressing a large gathering at the Federal Government-sponsored ‘Conversation for Progress’ held on Tuesday night (Nov. 18) at the Jessups Community Center in Nevis.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is still one of the safest places in the Caribbean. Even here in Nevis last month, your crime, according to our stats, was down about 20 percent. But to hear some people tell it, things are skyrocketing out of control.
“What has really happened is that over the last 36 months this Federation has been so quiet that when things happen people get concerned. You are right to get concerned, but it is not the sky is falling; we are still below what we were last year. It is not a good thing to say because we shouldn’t have these kinds of numbers. We are also citizens of this Federation and we should respect one another, and we should respect each other differences…that some people are unable to express themselves sensibly and resort to violence.”
Speaking under the topic “Crime fighting from the community perspective”, the Federation’s Top Cop told the gathering, which included Prime Minister Douglas, Ministers Patrice Nisbett, Marcella Liburd and Glen Phillip, as well as former Premier Joseph Parry, that his presence at the event was because of the government and community’s concern about recent incidents that transpired in the Federation.
He noted that the crime situation is being used by some individuals as a political issue.
“I am here tonight because the community and the Government are concerned about some of the recent incidents we have been experiencing here in the Federation, and some people have taken these events and they have turned them into a political issue. But we all must be mindful that we are all citizens of this Federation and when you speak in the manner that you do sometimes, it tend to incite certain behaviours in people. And because of that irresponsibility, things happen sometimes. But I am here to tell you that it’s a lot of hype and, please, don’t believe the hype!”
He stated that the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force has a Facebook page and everything that occurs in the Federation is posted there on a monthly basis, adding that “anyone anywhere in the world can go to the Police Facebook and they will see that even though we are experiencing challenges, crime is still down in the Federation”.
Walwyn called on the nation’s young men who are engaged in criminal activities, especially those taking the lives of others, to desist from so doing and lamented that apart from the victims many people are being hurt by their actions.
“I am hoping that this evening, some of our people, especially our young men, who are listening will understand that is not the way. What you are doing is causing pain to families...your family, my family. I myself have been touched by some of these incidents. Some of the people who have died are my relatives and some of the people committing these offences are my relatives. So, you are hurting us on both ends. So I will ask you to do some more reflection and think before you act.”
The Commissioner informed that the Force is currently engaged in continuous training of its members to deal with the crime situation.
He also informed that the Force has increased both its day and night patrols and that the Nevis Division is now better equipped to do so with the recent increase in its Transport Department.
He further informed that the Force has increased its day and night patrols and that with the acquisition of 10 new vehicles, mobility and visibility would also increase.
“The Government just recently, as you may have seen, placed 10 new police cars on line to patrol. So we have better vehicles, we have the officers on the street and we sent two of those cars over here to Nevis. So Nevis has two of those police cars and last week we sent four motorcycles over to Nevis.
“So there will be no need to say that there are no vehicles here in Nevis and there will be no need to say that there aren’t anyone to ride, because in Cotton Ground we are teaching the officers who have an interest in riding the motorcycles. So you will have approximately five or six motorcycles here in Nevis now and they were purchased by the Federal Government.”
Walwyn told the gathering that while on his way to the event, someone had given him vital information on the recent shooting-death incident on Nevis.
“And some of you have found me at Whatsapp. As a matter of fact, as I was on my way here on the boat, someone Whappsapp me and gave me some information about the event that occurred here this weekend. So I want to thank that person, because we will be checking into it.”
Walwyn also told the gathering that in the death of his 15-year-old cousin, Shante Claxton of Jessups Village, “I received a lot of information on Whatsapp and that’s how we got the leads to close that case.”
He was high in praise of some Nevisians for providing valuable information through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 (TIPS) and call on others to follow suit in order to rid the island of criminal elements.
“We were able to open three investigations…followed up with leads. Those were information we received from you here in Nevis with the Crime Stoppers. You have been doing a very good job and I think you ought to know that.”
He made known that the Police Force has made many changes through technical advances and it is the in the Eastern Caribbean to be equipped with the automated fingerprint system.
These advances, he said, had led investigators to the solvability of a number of murders.
“I can tell you tonight that here in Nevis we had picked up two guns and those two guns have been tied to four bodies in Nevis last year. And we have already charged one person with two of those murders in Nevis and we are waiting to charge the other two. So we are making advances here contrary to what you are hearing.”
Stressing on changes in the Police Force and the improved quality of its investigators, Commissioner Walwyn said: “We have very highly trained and qualified people working in our Police Force. Things have changed and things will continue to change, but we need one more component. We need you, the community, to step forward and help us to turn back crime. We had four homicides in St. Kitts right now that we can arrest the people, but the witnesses do not want to put in on paper. We know who committed the murders, these people saw them but they don’t want to put it on paper.”
The Top Cop proclaimed that he is in the Federation to help because he is a Kittitian of Nevisian descent, and that he wants to make sure that when visitors come to St. Kitts and Nevis they could walk in peace “just like those of you who live here. But I need your help to get it done”.
