CoP against curfew & heightened stop & search operations
Recent shootings on the Virgin Islands' main island of Tortola include in Baughers Bay on February 6, 2018 where a male was injured, a double homicide on February 10, 2018 near the Althea Scatliffe Primary School and one in Horsepath on February 16, 2018 where a male was injured.
In addition, there have been several reports of gunfire, and on February 20, 2018 a house in Manchester Estate was shot at several times but luckily no one was injured.
“I know that the vast majority of our citizens are good and law-abiding. That is why I personally do not feel a curfew or the overuse of standard stop/search operations would be effective or a valuable use of our limited resources. Targeted, intelligence-led searches are, and that is exactly what we will continue to do,” Police Commissioner Michael B. Matthews expressed in a statement on February 21, 2018.
According to the top cop, when nerves and emotions are already frayed from the inconveniences of recouping loss and rebuilding following the hurricanes of 2017, it is disheartening for the public to have to deal with yet another attack to the psyche, security and stability of life in this small Territory.
‘In time, arrests will come’
Many have also expressed dissatisfaction with the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) for failing to swiftly bring perpetrators to justice. The RVIPF, on the other hand, has blamed the community for being silent and not providing them with information.
“I will be the first to say that patience is not one of my virtues. I am keen to see offenders brought to justice as quickly as possible. I had grown accustomed to working in jurisdictions where most of the citizens speak out because they are intolerant of criminals pushing and showcasing their gun-wielding lifestyles, and arrests are quickly made. But here in the Territory, it is different. So it will take longer and my detectives will have to work harder to identify and gather the evidence necessary to arrest these criminals, especially in the aftermath of last year’s destructive events that have left the territory vulnerable.”
But, according to Commissioner Matthews, he receives regular briefs from his investigators and he is aware of good progress in a number of key investigations -- investigations that have created concerns for the law abiding communities here in the Territory.
“In time, arrests will come, and I would like the communities we serve to be patient and realistic about the speed of a complex investigation.”
He added, with the small, but growing number of persons coming forward and speaking, the RVIPF is “carrying out these searches, timely and regularly. The more information we have, the more searches we can carry out. Just because you don’t see us doing it, doesn’t mean we are not.”
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25 Responses to “CoP against curfew & heightened stop & search operations”
Oh really
for the head of our police to say such ignorance that stop and search operations are not necessary, sounds to me like his time is up. Do you think guns are carried around in shopping carts sir? Nahh they in vehicles and scooters. You are a disappointment. Yes where you come from the citizens help you solve the crime with handing you information on a silver plate and walahh, you get a head start. It aint so in this jurisdiction, so therefore you got to reset your compass.
THAT TOP COP needs to leave the territory, it is obvious he isn't the right fit. I am a good citizen who wants the best for the VI but would think VERY HARD about reporting for these reason.... for one nothing stays a secret in the VI, along with the lack of privacy it is also a very small place which makes very easy for you to be found....those two things doesn't play well for some one who reports a crime. If I saw a crime I would pray the individual(s) who committed the crime weren't aware of my presents and secondly there was a means by which the crime could be reported and my testimony wasn't needed to bring the person to justice, but I know better.
2 let ur department heads start going on d streets
3 more stop n search at night on weekends
4 look at ur shift pattern to much 8 to 4
5 have paid informers
6 enforce helmet on scooter riders no face mass
7 stop n search scooter riders after 8 at nite