BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A number of officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force on Wednesday (Mar. 3) unabashedly expressed to Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris and Attorney-General the Hon. Vincent Byron Jr. the challenges they faced and are still facing in the law enforcement body.
The Prime Minister was at the time having his inaugural meeting as the Minister of National Security with the High Command, off the icers and rank and file of the institution at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) conference room in Lime Kiln.
The members, including Deputy Commissioner Stafford Liburd and Assistant Commissioner Vaughan Henderson, welcomed the Prime Minister Harris and Attorney-General Vincent Byron Jr. and congratulated them on their recent success at the General Elections.
Following Dr. Harris’ presentation in which he pledged to give every support to the Police Force and the resources needed in its crime fighting effort, a number of officers expressed what their challenges and concerns were in the institution.
The first of them was Inspector Zenhastel Hector, who indicated that the Prime Minister’s visit on Wednesday coincided with his 32 years as a member of the RSCNPF.
He, too, commended the Prime Minister and the AG on their political achievements and pleaded with Dr. Harris not to fail him, other members of the institution and the nation as a whole.
“I noted what you said at the podium here today and I am a man who holds people to their word. Please do not fail me, much less my members here, much less thousands. You are here because of the will of the people and the people are who going to see this country right back at the top where it belongs.”
Known as the ‘Workman’ of the Force, Inspector Hector assured the Prime Minister that he would continue to perform in that vein and that he and those under his command would live true to the Force’s Mission Statement.
Next was Sergeant Edward Drew who enquired about the age of retirement and extension of service as a civil servant.
In response, the Prime Minister said: “We have two systems operating. Recently there was a new Civil Service Act that was passed and sought to extend the period for retirement up to age 62. Along with that was the previous disposition where at 55, basically, was the year one could then retire and there were options to continue year after year up to age 60. So the two systems are in operation simultaneously. Those would have been initiated into the service subsequent to the passage of the Legislation but, by and large, we have available up to age 62 and those before would be operating under the old system. But the old system does provide for annual extension up to 60. So two systems are in operation, and I think with that also comes some changes with the pension contribution.”
Seemingly satisfied with the explanation, Drew, who has 22 years service to date and is in-charge of the Frigate Bay Police Station, pleaded with Dr. Harris to review the current system of placement within the Force.
He explained that some individuals are placed in departments where they are incapable to function effectively and efficiently, but are qualified to do so in other areas.
Sergeant Drew insinuated that sometimes these acts are deliberately orchestrated in order to make those individuals fail in their appointments, adding: “In all reasonableness, you use an individual in an area where you believe that that person is more able to produce.”
And Woman Constable Thomas-Liburd, who has served the Force for 19-plus years and is based at the Frigate Bay Police Station, highlighted her major challenge as a driver in that residential area.
Liburd-Thomas explained that the police station is short of manpower and that criminals do target the residents of Frigate Bay, which has a number of entrances and exits that the perpetrators of crime use to their advantage.
She also explained that the residents often complain that whenever a crime is reported, only one officer normally responds, and stressed that more patrols could be done in that area to curb crime if adequate manpower were provided.
Head of the Special Services Unit and the Drug Squad, Inspector Travis Rogers pleaded with the National Security Minister to provide his charges with an adequate facility from which the first response team of the RSCNPF could operate.
Rogers stated that the two Units are based at Police Headquarters in Basseterre and the accommodation is not the best from which to operate. He therefore sought Dr. Harris’ intervention in the providence of a building where he and his men could be headquartered.
He also noted that the Units are understaffed and pointed out that coupled with the accommodation, those challenges have been exiting for many years, even under previous Heads including Superintendent Terrance James.
“We have been down for many years without a proper building from where we can be effective and efficient. Being at the Police Headquarters had sort of stifled the way we operate and we are asking that something be done for these two Units as a matter of urgency.”
Rogers also stated that although members of the two Units have been instrumental in removing a number of firearms of the streets and have been relentless in the fight against crime, they have not been getting any commendation for their hard work.
However, despite the negatives and many challenges faced by members of the RSCNPF, some positives were highlighted by the 28-year veteran officer, Woman Inspector Diane Mills who heads the Police Prosecution Team.
Mills told the gathering that they could not be happy with the crime rate in the Federation, especially gun-related crime, which currently stands at 10 murders for the year. She however stated that there are some positive things being done by members of the Force which made her felt proud as a middle manager of the entity.
She referred to the outstanding work of two officers which were brought before the Court in Basseterre and resulted in years of imprisonment for two criminals.
She named one of the officers as Sergeant Bradshaw of the Special Services Unit and the other, simply as “Packet”.
Referring to Bradshaw, Inspector Mills noted that while on patrol on night, he had observed a young man riding a bicycle without light, adding that “whereas others would see that and just pass it, he decided to deal with that”.
“And because he stopped to deal with that,” she added, “he queried why the young man was riding without light and because of the young man’s reaction, Bradshaw recognised that something was amiss and directed a member of the patrol search the young man.”
Inspector Mills informed that the young officer came up empty handed, but on observing that the young man seemed nervous, Sergeant Bradshaw pushed out his hand from within the vehicle and took hold of the young man.
“He then pushed his hand into the young man’s crotch area and pulled out a brand new gun with 15 rounds of ammunition. I daresay that while they are speaking about the crime rate, that gun with 15 rounds of ammunition represents 15 murders that were prevented in this country,” Mills said.
In response to the comments, questions and challenges, Attorney-General Byron promised the officers that they would be addressed.
He said: “I think it would be remiss of me not to respond to the comments and questions been asked by so many of you. First I would like to start by indicating that as Attorney-General my remit is and should be that we in St. Kitts and Nevis, we uphold the rule of law, that our remit as members of the police force that we see our role as one critical to the administration of justice in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The AG promised that the Government would do all in “our power to support you as you carry out the mandate of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to keep them safe in everything that they do and to assist us, whether it is as people follow their own self interest to be able to make a better life for themselves and to look after their children, that we do what is necessary to give you those resources to fulfil the mandate that we all have to make St. Kitts and Nevis a better place”.
