BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – RESIDENTS of Cayon will have the opportunity tomorrow evening (Oct. 12) to hear what plans and solutions the police have for their ‘troubled’ community.
The High Command of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, along with the Officer-in-Charge and ranks of the Cayon Police Station, will be meeting with residents of that area from 7:00 p.m. at the Community Centre.
The police have stated that all residents of Cayon are invited and on the agenda would be reviews of their Six-Point Plan to reduce homicides and violent crimes, their current crime fighting efforts, and the results of those efforts.
Attendees would also be allowed to ask questions of the presenters.
Branded as one of the hotspots in St. Kitts, over the years many residents of Cayon had voiced their concerns over the shooting-death of their young men, the wounding of others and the high rate of break-ins.
Just last month Imran Christopher was shot multiple times in an area in Lower Cayon known as De Ghaut, and some 10 days earlier Jason Morton of Hermitage Village was shot to death and his companion, Anthony Pringle of Shear Lane, Basseterre, was wounded in the shoulder.
At a previous meeting held at the Cayon Primary School on May 5, 2013, the then Commissioner of Police, Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn, had informed residents that Cayon was under the police microscope.
He noted that some people in the community were counterfeiting US currency and planting marijuana for wholesale purposes, adding that in recent times “one was killed and two others shot. It is a very bad thing. People know who is committing the crime but they keep their mouths shut”.
A few residents at that meeting were very candid about the modus operandi of some officers based at the Cayon Police Station.
They had informed the Commissioner of the lackadaisical attitude exhibited by some officers when reports were made at the station, including serious crimes.
In addition to the officers’ attitude to reports, one resident had noted that many people were afraid to give the officers information because of the lack of confidentiality.
Another resident had stated that when Inspector Carl Caines was stationed in Cayon as a Sergeant, a very amicable relationship had existed between the two parties and officers were regularly seen on foot patrolling the community.
To that revelation, the attendees pleaded for Caines’ return, noting that officers stationed there should be acquainted with all the nooks and crannies that some people use as escape routes after committing criminal acts.
One individual had highlighted that some mothers in the community were aware of crimes committed by their children, especially males, but they harboured them and gave tacit approval to their deviant behaviour.
Walwyn, in response to that revelation, had suggested that the Ministry of Social Development should implement a programme to educate those women on the values of parenting.
It is not known if that suggestion was adhered to.
And after listening to the numerous complaints and suggestions, Walwyn told the gathering that he would put measures in place to address their concerns.
He told them that members of the Delta Squad were, at that time, “on the ground to supplement the police and people must speak to the police”.
Walwyn also told the attendees that if the distrust of officers at the Cayon Police Station persisted, they should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 (TIPS) with any information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of criminals.
Since then, Corporal Carl Greaux was elevated to the rank of Sergeant and appointed Officer-in-Charge of the Cayon District.
SKNVibes had since been monitoring Greaux’s management of the Station and his ability to bring some semblance of order to the community, and was pleased with the response of residents interviewed during two visits to the community.
However, though they claimed that there have been changes in the officers’ modus operandi and a resuscitation of the amicable relationship between the two parties, the majority is still tight-lipped in providing information that could lead to the apprehension and subsequent prosecution of those who had committed serious crimes, including homicide and attempted murder.
Tomorrow’s meeting with the High Command should be very interesting and this publication is pleading to members of that community to go out, listen to what plans the police have and cooperate with them in order to make Cayon a safe place to live, to do business and for people to visit.
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