BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - LEGISLATION providing for the establishment of an auxiliary body to the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force was tabled, debated and passed into law during last week’s sitting of the Federal Parliament.
On Wednesday (Nov. 18), Prime Minister and Minister of National Security the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas tabled the Island Constables Bill 2009 which provides for the appointment of part-time police officers to operate in the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis.
According to the Bill, these persons would be conferred with the same powers as police officers and suitably qualified persons could be appointed by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the Commissioner of Police.
Dr. Douglas, while making his contribution to the debate, explained that the island constables are “subordinate allies to the Police Force and they will assist the police mainly in cases of emergency or riots, protection or whenever the Commissioner of Police or the Police High Command would want to have them mobilised in communities to serve specific purposes as the case may merit.
“They will, of course, be asked to deal with relatively minor duties, in cases where the police officers assigned to those cases are needed to help their fellow officers combat much more serious criminal activity…I believe that the Island Constables will in fact serve as an important reserve of manpower for the upholding and enforcement of the law.”
The Bill specifies that persons who are over the age of 18 years and under 60 years, are residing within St. Christopher and Nevis, are able-bodied and who are of good character are “qualified for appointment as an island constable.” It informs that special consideration would be given to former police officers, former Defence Force soldiers, former members of the Fire and Rescue Services Department, former prison officers, former Coast Guard officers, security guards who are in active service and actively serving watchmen.
The officers, once sworn in, would be fitted with a baton, a whistle, a notebook, an instruction book, a uniform and an armlet which bears the letters “IC.”
Former Minister of National Security the Hon. G. A. Dwyer Astaphan noted that he is in support of the Bill but suggested that the legislation is flawed. Among the points he raised was one relative to clause three, subsection three of the Bill which reads, “Notwithstanding the generality of subsection (1), the following persons shall not be qualified to be appointed as island constables:
(a) An undischarged bankrupt, having been adjourned or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law; or
(b) A person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any law.”
He elucidated that the Bill does not definitively list all criteria which would make one ineligible to become a member of the body.
“What about persons with criminal records involving dishonesty, violence, drugs or weapons. I see earlier in the Bill that the person must be of good character but somebody could have had a record and be of good character. Somebody may even be of good character, you think, you presume…that he or she has a record…of dishonesty and maybe did some time or violence or drugs of weapon offences. In my view, Clause 2, Sub clause 3 (a) and (b) are not incisive enough. They are not definitive in setting the criteria as to who would be excluded.”
In response, Attorney General the Hon. Dr. Dennis Merchant noted that these issues would be reflected in the Bill’s regulations.
Dr. Douglas said his hope is that “by this piece of legislation, we would have significantly improved their (police) presence in larger and greater numbers in our communities so that they would be able to better discharge their duties and bring much more comfort to our citizens”.
