BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) will soon be enforcing an Act that will see the removal of criminal records of some individuals from the law enforcement body’s files.
This announcement was made last week by Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for Operations, Vaughan Henderson at the Parliamentary Lounge during the Prime Minister’s Press Conference.
He was at the time responding to a question concerning the issue of individuals who were exonerated of charges preferred against them and have been suffering the humiliating affront of a system imposed by the RSCNPF.
The Force’s Public Relations Department normally issues press releases for media houses to disseminate to the public. Many of them would inform who were arrested, who were charged for various crimes they allegedly committed, and these would be accompanied by mug shots.
If the charged individuals were convicted, the police would send further press releases indicating that, but they do not send releases when individuals are exonerated, especially at the preliminary inquiry (PI) hearings.
A request was made for the High Command to rectify this situation and ACP Henderson agreed to make public all those exonerated at future PIs.
“We as an organisation will be committed to that approach! Because, on the face of it, it is a fair approach that persons who have been charged and were exonerated be offered the courtesy of that exoneration publically, especially when the arrest was publicised.”
And in the issue of an individual’s criminal record being removed from the Force’s files, Henderson said: “But if I may add, even in relation to persons who have been convicted, we are happy to report that there is now the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act that outlines certain procedures, whereby a person with a conviction for a number of years, suffice it that he remains of good behaviour and keeps himself off the criminal books, his criminal records could be expunged.”
He explained that implementation of the Act is part of the rehabilitative efforts of the Police Force and added that “I will ensure that our commitment is kept alive to make public those persons who have been exonerated”.
It was proven that there are many benefits to having one’s criminal record expunged.
For example, whether an individual is applying for a job, professional licence or citizenship in a country not of his or her birth, the people reviewing the application may want to know if he or she had ever been convicted of a criminal offence. If there were a criminal conviction in that person’s record, it is unlikely that he or she would be chosen for the job or considered for the licence or citizenship.
Also, if convicted and were subsequently involved in a legal proceeding as a witness, the court or jury may be unlikely to believe the individual’s testimony when his or her criminal record is made known to the court.
