BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - TALK of a new head to be appointed to the Nevis Division and also one for the St. Kitts branch of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Force was confirmed earlier today (Nov. 3) by Commissioner of Police (COP) Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn.
The COP was at the time speaking to local media operatives who met with him at Government Headquarters’ Parliamentary Lounge with a view to engendering a more productive relationship with the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF).
Responding to questions posed by the media, Commissioner Walwyn indicated that in a matter of days, the CID which is headed by Inspector Franklyn Belgrove would be headed by acting Inspector Charles Smithen.
“Effective on Friday this week, the new Inspector in charge of CID will be acting Inspector Smithen, formerly SGT Smithen of the Tabernacle Police Station. We are trying to make some changes within the agency to improve the quality of work within the agency, within CID, and to make sure that some of the crimes that we have had over the past can be properly investigated, leading to prosecution of the offenders.”
He further explained that the position is being filled by Smithen as Belgrove would be on sabbatical.
The COP further indicated that upon Belgrove’s return, he “will be reassigned”.
A change will also be made in regard to the Nevis Division which – for the past couple of years – has operated with an Inspector as the highest-ranking officer stationed there.
According to the COP, as of December 2011, Superintendent Robert Liburd would operate as the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) attached to that Division.
He explained that the effect of such a move is that that Division would no longer have to wait for the ‘go-ahead’ from the High Command members stationed in St. Kitts, but it would have leeway to make its own decisions.
“In December, we are going to have an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Nevis. It is no different than having an Assistant Commissioner of Police in St. Kitts. The Superintendent in Nevis reports to an Assistant Commissioner in St. Kitts. All we are doing is putting the Assistant Commissioner in Nevis. Nothing has changed…If the superintendent had a question, he had to call all the way down here, try to get somebody. He will have the ACP right there; they can make their own decisions.”
When Liburd assumes the role of Assistant Commissioner of Police, it would mean that the RSCNPF would have a five-member High Command comprising three ACPs, one Deputy Commissioner of Police and a COP.
The suggestion which COP Walwyn made, however, is that other modifications to the High Command would be effected.
“It’s going to be an additional ACP but we are also going to have changes here in St. Kitts which I won’t get into right now.”
