BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FORMER Minister of National Security G. A. Dwyer Astaphan described the recent appointment of the new High Command of the Police Force as “a step in the right direction”, noting that it now has the “difficult but doable” task of successfully leading the charge in the fight against crime.
“I think it is a step forward. We have to look at them as a team.They have to be given an opportunity to carry out their mandate. I think the policing plan going forward is based on a six-point plan and I think a three-year strategic plan would include not just the policing and criminal justice but also social and community policing and related activities.”
Astaphan, a social activist who founded Operation Rescue, was highly critical of the last appointed Commissioner of Police – Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn – citing that he had not performed as he should have during his four-year stint.
He reminded that after Walwyn went on leave Deputy Commissioner of Police Stafford Liburd was appointed Acting Commissioner and had remained there until just days ago when a new High Command headed by Commissioner of Police Ian Queeley was installed.
Astaphan suggests that for the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force to see success in its crime fighting efforts, it must be provided with adequate resources and the culture and attitudes pertain to discipline and proficiency, both in and out of the Force, must be changed/improved.
“One of the challenges is going to be to try to change the culture in the Police Force to improve discipline and professionalism and commitment. Part and parcel of that is that the Government must make available the appropriate resources for that to happen. The conditions of work need to be looked at and a very important element in the whole thing is that the community has to play its role.
“We have to remember that the people who enter the Police Force enter it from the same community in which we all live and raise our families. So if we want an improved police force we have to improve our standards as individuals, as families and as communities and set higher standards.”
The conduct of members of the Police Force is another area that Astaphan said needs to be improved.
“So it’s not an easy task; it’s a step in the right direction and we have to keep monitoring and encouraging and supporting. I can’t emphasize enough! It is very critical that this new team can exemplify itself individually and collectively in the way it conducts itself in and out of uniform. And it has to demonstrate that it can introduce a new disciplined professional culture in the Force.
“We are seeing in the documents, reference to police regulations. Well there are police regulations in place (and) one wonders whether those regulations would at last be applied…they are about eight years old, or whether new regulations would be introduced. The thing is whatever you have there in terms of the laws and regulations, they are to be enforced. nd if they need to be fixed, you fix them.”
Astaphan stated that a consistent state of professional improvement and training is paramount if police officers are to understand and administer substantive and procedural laws.
Asked about his level of confidence in the Police High Command to effectively lead the charge in the fight against crime, Astaphan expressed, “I am confident…It would be tragic if one were not confident and if one were not going to give the new arrangement a chance. We have to give them a chance. I am confident that we can do better.”
