Reminded of Labour Party’s 1995 Manifesto
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FORMER Government Minister Dwyer Astaphan claims that the murder rate of the twin-island Federation had significantly increased since Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn was appointed Commissioner of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force in 2011.
Speaking on his weekly Tuesday night radio programme, ‘The Operating Room’, aired on WINN FM, the Operation Rescue’s member made reference to the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party 1995 Manifesto’s first order of business and noted that criminals have become bolder and more vicious.
“The Labour Party Manifesto 1995 first order of business...Law and Order. After 19 years under Denzil Douglas, up to last night (Dec. 8) when Gavin Whyte was murdered, between July 1995 and last night there have been 265 murders and countless other crimes in St. Kitts and Nevis. Most unsolved and the murderers have become bolder, colder and more vicious and gruesome.”
He pointed out that statistics have proven that the average murder rate per year of St. Kitts and Nevis between 1985 and 2011 under retired Commissioners Calvin Fahie, Robert Jeffers and Austin Williams is less than that under the current Commissioner.
“Now after hearing past Commissioners of Police get a lot of blows, look at what happened in this country since August 2011 when Celvin Walwyn was hired. Prior to Walwyn and between ’95 July and 2011 July there were 196 murders under Douglas; current average of about 12 murders a year. And for the 10 years prior to the arrival of Walwyn there were 171 murders; current average of 17 murders a year. However, between August 2011 and today, that’s to say since Celvin Walwyn became the Commissioner, there have been 69 murders; current average of 21 murders per year.”
Astaphan is of the view that Commissioner Walwyn is being pampered and given more resources than his predecessors to fight crime.
“Remember, Walwyn is a Commissioner, and it almost seems that he is a part-time Commissioner, who’s been far more indulged and pampered, far more funding, far more pay and perks, far more tools, far more equipment and institutional support than all of his predecessors from Calvin Fahie down to Austin Williams. In fact, possibly more than all of them put together. And the Police Force, not to mention other security agencies, is more murders than ever, more political than ever.”
Referring to an email he received from a female, whom he claimed is apolitical, very intelligent and has lots of experience in policing and criminal justice, Astaphan said she was addressing the shooting-death of Gavin Whyte and violence in general.
He quoted her as saying: “The window of opportunity is wide open for these types of offences. If they had as many officers on patrol as they have standing around at political meetings, that window might be closed, at least a little, including our Commissioner of Police who can be seen on a recent Facebook video at a recent Labour Party meeting in plain clothes. So much for the independence of the Police Force!
“I find it fascinating that we are seeing protests in the United States stemming from the militarisation of police forces and the related marginalisation of communities. And we in St. Kitts and Nevis are implementing the exact same strategy here. No concept of community or restorative-based policing. We are really going backwards.”
The former Minister of National Security intoned that not only is the current murder higher, but also the amount of people killed by law enforcement officers as well as the politicising of the Police Force.
“It’s not only the murder rate that is higher under Walwyn, it’s also the number of civilians killed by the police, politicisation of the police and militarisation of the police under Douglas. You see what is happening in the United States with the militarisation of the police? Look what’s happening here, then feel what’s happening here with the militarisation of the police and the politicisation of the police to levels, in my recollection, not reached. That’s the politicisation and militarisation that we have full confidence in!”
Astaphan posed a number of questions to listeners of his programme, which include: “When are we going to reject this nonsense? When it reaches our door step? When are we going to take hold of this? Are we going to wait to when we give our sons that last kiss before their coffins are forever closed? When are we going to wake up and see that we are being led or allow ourselves to be led down the wrong road?”
He asserted that the politics is literally killing residents and citizens of the Federation.
Astaphan reminded of a pledge he claimed Prime Minister Douglas made some 19 years ago.
“In 1995 Douglas pledged, and I quote: ‘The Labour Party is strongly committed to ending the vicious cycle of victimisation for political affiliation or association.’ And he said that no Public Service employee would be victimised or lose his or her job because of party support. And he promised to engage and appoint people in the Public Service on the basis not upon political affiliation but of merit. Did he mean what he said? Not at all, the thing is worse now than ever before!
“As I said, the hearing of the Commissioner attending and even speaking at political town halls. They say that promotions inside the Force and elsewhere, made allegedly known alliance than on merit and promotions being denied because people are perceived not to be wearing the politically approved gang colours. And they see more and more anonymous letters purportedly founded in the Force crying out for help and justice.
Directing his statement to Pastor Leroy Benjamin, Astaphan said: “This is not personal, but these things need to be said. We are seeing a man who the Court of Appeal said was guilty of misfeasance in public office in relation to his duties as Supervisor of Elections, we are seeing him not only retained as the Police Force Chaplain but being put in a uniform and made a Police Superintendent, as if to say to hell with the Court of Appeal and what the judges say.
“...We have seen the Police Service and the Public Service generally decimated by politics. And we have seen tampering with justice beyond imagination. The incumbents have departed 180 degrees away from what was promised in 1995.
The Operation Rescue member claimed that a recent poll indicated that crime and violence is one of the major concerns and the people had stated their dissatisfaction with the politicisation and personalisation of the Police Force and the Public Service, and the interference in them.
