The government and people of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis warmly welcome the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Mr. Celvin Geron “C.G.” Walwyn, who succeeds Commissioner Austin Williams as the top cop of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force.
We thank Mr. Williams for his contribution to the maintenance of law and order for the past three years.
Mr. Walwyn, who is Kittitian by birth, brings a 25 year wealth of experience and expertise in law enforcement and criminal justice, which he acquired through holding several key senior police positions in the United States. His experience, training and expertise in critical areas of crime-fighting are greatly appreciated.
Be that as it may, Mr. Walwyn comes to the job of top cop at a time that is extremely challenging for the Federation in the face of escalating crime (with murders being of special concern) and in general, a lamentable break down in law and order.
Given this scenario, Mr. Walwyn has his work cut out for him. Nonetheless, we are hopeful that over time his leadership will yield tangible results in the reduction, prevention and detection of the criminal elements and criminals within our society.
However, in order to bring to fruition crime reduction, prevention and detection, Mr. Walwyn would need the support of the entire police force, government, civic organizations and the entire community to cooperate and collaborate with the Police.
All the experience, training and expertise of one man can only bring about few results if the cooperation and collaboration of the entire community are lacking.
So where should the new commissioner begin?
Firstly, we believe that a good starting point would be to boost the morale of the Police. A police force with high morale will produce officers who are motivated to carry out their duties to protect and serve with more zest, interest and zeal. It will bring into being officers who value their profession and who operate professionally by never compromising their work of maintaining law and order.
Secondly, we believe that there is dire need for a better relationship of trust and confidence between the Police and the community. Public opinion shares the view that many people do not hold enough trust and confidence in the police because of fear that information shared with them will not be held in confidentiality. This has really hampered the fight against crime and has led to a conspiracy of silence and a prison of fear.
With a society as small and close-knit as ours, people know who the criminals, gang members and murderers are. They are walking among us. Yet, people are afraid to talk, even when their own lives and that of others are in danger. It is this culture of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” that is most frightening. It is no wonder that the criminals are carrying out their barefaced and brazen acts of murder and other criminal acts without camouflage even in broad daylight.
Thirdly, Mr. Commissioner, we need to rid our streets of so many illegal firearms. It is said that it is as easy to get a firearm as it is easy to get a cell phone. Neither firearms nor ammunition are made in St. Kitts but yet there is a proliferation of them in the country. The Police needs to work closely with the Customs to stem the flow of firearms and drugs into the country and to weed out and prosecute those who are aiding and abetting their entry into the country.
Mr. Commissioner, we welcome your expertise in the identification and apprehension of white collar criminals and criminal gang members and intelligence gathering. We hope to see a real difference in these areas.
There is a lot of work ahead in the fight against crime!
Of course, working in a developed country where crime fighting resources are more adequate and available as the newly appointed commissioner has known for over twenty years make crime-fighting much easier.
However, this will be met with the reality of working in a developing country where many of these resources are not as adequate and available. There will have to be an adjustment.
In conclusion, the fight against crime is a collective responsibility. Parents must do their part, since the family is the first agent of socialization; teachers must do their part; adults must set an example for younger ones to follow.
Together, we can reduce crime if we all collaborate and cooperate.
Mr. Commissioner, we wish you all the best in your new position!
