BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - CELVIN WALWYN, Commissioner of Police said that there is no animosity against the former Commissioner of Police Austin Williams for statements that were made about his leadership qualities.
In July of this year, former Commissioner Williams, through a media format, spoke out about the manner in which Commissioner Walwyn was running the Police Force, stating that “some recent arrests in high profile cases were 'a front' to say the cases had been solved".
Williams had made a number of statements with regards to CoP Walwyn's mode of operation, stating, among other things, that his arrests are just to make the public believe he was doing a great job.
“Mode of arrests are done by three means, and what I think they are using is arrest by suspicion and after the period of time that they can hold them maybe elapse they just put a charge on them and that’s the end of that; it’s either thrown out at the PI [Preliminary Inquiry] or whatever but probably it’s a front to say, well, cases have been solved or something is being done,” Williams was quoted as saying.
The former Commissioner also chastised the new CoP for not publishing crime statistics as well and also accused him of misusing and abusing the Police system.
CoP Walwyn said that Williams is free to make his statements but he has since then apologised for what he said, noting that he has no ill will against him.
"Commissioner Williams is free to state whatever he chooses. He has since apologised to me; he has contacted me via phone and he has met me in the street and has has apologised. I have nothing against him."
He said that there are persons who can attest that he has no bitterness towards him for his outlandish statements.
"When I came here, people were trying to get me to say bad things about him, even before I was appointed. I would tell them there is only one Commissioner at a time. Even after I became Commissioner, they started asking me my opinion and I don't have an opinion. This is a free country and he is free to say whatever he wants to say; I have no problem with him; I see him, we greet each other cordially and it will stay that way," he explained.
Commissioner Walwyn said that, with regards to Williams' statement about his [Walwyn's] mode of operation, we should let the statistics speak.
"In reference to what he said, I can only say, look at the statistics and see if there is a difference between the first eight months of 2011 and the first eight months of 2012. If there is a difference, then we are doing what we are supposed to do but if there is no difference then we are not doing what we are supposed to do," he said.
Now known for his speedy arrests, C. G. Walwyn was officially sworn in as the head of Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RCNPF) on September 1, 2011, at which time he succeeded Austin Williams as Commissioner.
