The Royal St. Christopher And Nevis Police Force Officers’ Mess Dinner And Awards Ceremony

ZIZ News…18th June, 2013 — On Saturday 15th June 2013 at 7:00PM at the Police Training Complex the Gazetted Officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force held their Officers’ Mess Dinner and Awards Ceremony. There a total of sixteen (16) retired gazetted officers who received awards for their years of dedicated service to the Force and the Federation.

These officers were:

1. Mr. Robert Jeffers, retired Commissioner of Police
2. Mr. Austin Williams, retired Commissioner of Police
3. Mr. Meredith Charles, retired Deputy Commissioner of Police
4. Mr. Rolland Charles, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police
5. Mr. Joseph Richardson, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police
6. Mr. Joseph Liburd, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police
7. Mr. Ivor Blake, retired Superintendent of Police
8. Mr. Sammuel Seabrookes, retired Superintendent of Police
9. Mr. Raymond Cotton, retired Superintendent of Police
10. Mr. Wilmoth Hodge, retiring Superintendent of Police
11. Mr. Clarence Glasgow, retired Inspector of Police
12. Mr. Austin Lescott, retired Inspector of Police
13. Mr. Ronald Benjamin, retired Inspector of Police
14. Mr. Keithlie Bradshaw, retired Inspector of Police
15. Mrs. Venetta Wyatt, retired Inspector of Police
16. Ms. Elrethia Richardson, retired Inspector of Police

There were three (3) special speakers; The Right Honourable Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L Douglas who has responsibility for the Police Force, Mr. Francis Forbes, Executive Director of CARICUM IMPACS (Implementation Agency for Crime and Security) who gave the featured address, and Commissioner CG Walwyn who gave the welcome remarks.

There were a number of specially invited guests which included: H.E. Governor General, Sir. Edmond Lawrence and Mrs Lawrence, The Right Honourable Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L Douglas, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Earle Asim Martin, Speaker of National Assembly, Hon Curtis Martin, His Hon. Deputy Governor General, Sir Eustace John, Premier of Nevis Hon. Vance Amory, Deputy Premier of Nevis, Hon. Mark Brantley, Members of Federal Government Members of the Nevis Island Assembly, Members of the Judiciary, Members of the Diplomatic and Consulate Corps, Members of the Business Community, Retired Senior Police Officers and the Media.

Commissioners Mess Message

It is with great admiration for the men and women of this gathering, that I address you this evening, and thank you for the great work we have achieved across this Federation, in the last 22 months.

I wish to say publicly, thank you!

I was sworn in as Commissioner of Police on 1 September, 2011. As the Commissioner of Police, my job was to find solutions to some of the problems we were facing as a police force, and a Federation. We knew from the beginning it was not going to be easy, but we were determined to make a difference. But that difference was not going to be automatically possible because a new commissioner was to be hired, it would be possible because the command staff would be able to see the vision that the new commissioner had for the agency. It was because of the ability of the commanders to see the vision, the obstacles slowly disappeared within the Federation. Again, I want to say, thank you!

The police force first order was to assess the operational deficiencies of the agency. A first of its kind relationship between the major corporate employers of the Federation was developed and pressed into a public-private relationship called the Coalition. We want to thank the Coalition tonight because they stood beside me as Commissioner of Police through thick and thin. I was approached by Senator Ricky Skerritt, who is a friend of law enforcement, on my second day in the Federation, and he told me that there was a man who wanted to talk to me about helping fund whatever I needed for the police force. I met with the man the next morning, and two days later, there was a Coalition of Support for the St. Kitts Nevis Security Initiatives. These were the seven largest corporate employers in the Federation concerned about the economic and social condition of the Federation and wanted to help make it better for all concerned. I might add that from the beginning, and to this date, they lend their support, but never asked for any special treatment and have received none.

Through this coalition of support, the Federation has received a crime scene vehicle, a gun and tracking canine, a canine vehicle, free canine medical treatment, free canine meals for all of the Federation’s canines, free hotel accommodation and airline tickets for police instructors brought in from the US Mainland, support for professional instruction by permitting use of their facilities, the funding and introduction of the Crime Stoppers Program, and last but not least, the soon to be installed, Closed Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) project in selected areas of Basseterre.

We want to thank the coalition for their continued support as we continue the fight to ensure the safety and security of all residents and visitors alike. It would be unfair to finish this message without acknowledging our other partners in the fight against those who would seek to threaten our safety and security. I wish to thank Mr. Michael Morton of TDC, Mr. Seymour of Island Auto, the Port Zante Businessmen, Sugars, Comptroller of Customs Mr. Rodney Harris for the donation of a vehicle for the Delta Squad, and there are other businesses who fully support the police force but they have asked me not to mention their names. People such as the citizenship by investment investor who donated 16 police motorcycles to the police force. I would just like to acknowledge, though without calling his name, the business man in Nevis who donated the money towards the training of the new Nevis canine. The United States, through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, spent $15,000 purchasing the Nevis dog.

I also want to thank the United States, Canada, and England for their contribution to change in the fight to restore the safety and security of our Federation. In excess of US$200,000 has been spent on training in and out of the Federation for our police officers. From the sister police agency partnerships between the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff”s Office, and the United States Virgin Islands Police Department, in excess of US$200,000 has been spent in increasing the safety and security of our Federation.

I also want to thank the Prime Minister, the Rt. Honourable Dr. Denzil Llewellyn Douglas, for his support of our crime fighting initiatives as we increase the peace and safety of our Federation. As Minister charged with responsibility for the Anti-Crime Unit, he has made sure that the police force had the necessary tools to bring about a 53% reduction in crime in the Federation. For that I say, thank you Mr. Prime Minister.

Finally, I want to say thank you to the men and women of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force for the hard work you have done in 2012 and look forward to serving you as we increase the peace and continue the fight to take back the streets.

Thank you for this Mess Dinner, thank you for supporting it tonight, Bon appétit, and may God continue to bless the men and women of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.