VI Citizens hesitant to cooperate with Force – CoP Matthews
The Top CoP was at the time responding to a question about how he finds policing in the VI as compared to policing in other parts of the world, at a Road Town Rotary meeting, yesterday, Wednesday, January 23, 2019, at The Moorings.
Hesitant
"I’ve worked across Europe, I’ve worked in the states, I’ve worked in the Australia and I’ve worked in the UK and the one thing I would say that stands out for me and this is not a criticism, this is about the task at hand… Is the people here in the Virgin Islands are hesitant to work with the police service,” he told those gathered at the event.
According to Mr Matthews, while policing is different around the world, factors such as how modern the force is and how established and progressive the county is accounts for the level of police/public cooperation received.
In the case of the VI, he says the lack of cooperation is especially a challenge because people are just unwilling to assist.
“They are hesitant to provide witness testimony, there are hesitant to stand up and say this is wrong and we need to do something about it and we need to support our police to do that,” he said in frustration.
“I do find that a personal challenge because I have not found that anywhere else,” Mr Matthews revealed.
Cooperation needed - Matthews
“I was on a talk show quite recently, Honestly Speaking, Claude Skelton-Cline’s show [and] I gave an example and I said in the United States a tragedy occurred couple weeks ago… a drive-by shooting and in that car a 5-year-old child died… an absolute tragedy.”
He said twenty-four hours later, about five hundred people protested on the steps of the police station over that death of the child.
“In December 2017 we had a drive-by shooting in the West End, an 11-year-old child died. Where was the protest?” the Top CoP questioned.
“I know that it is a sobering and rather negative note, but it also tells me the work to do… policing has a responsibility here to give people the courage and confidence in the criminal justice system to come forward and to say enough is enough.”
32 Responses to “VI Citizens hesitant to cooperate with Force – CoP Matthews ”
The whole system is corrupt and therefore that is why no one wants to assist, that's the reality. I read the news almost everyday I see crimes of murder, molestation, guns and drugs, then you can see certain political figures pleading for the same criminals saying they're good boys and girls. Yet every entrance in every district they represent, only to be welcomed not by the tourist board but by drug pushers...Maybe Funding campaigns. Have you ever wondered why nothing is being done? How could someone come forward unless they have a death wish, police and political corruption everywhere. People cry out on these blogs because they feel some sort of safety and a level of anonymity. I've gone to a few people before to ask advice about certain things I've seen while explaining my dilemma a blunt look as if I need to keep my mouth shut because they're involved or someone they know might be involved. The truth of the matter is you don't know who to trust and therefore people rather remain silent than made silent if you understand my meaning. Sometimes you have to post stuff on multiple news sites because they filter what they want to put out there and its usually to fuel HATE. It's 2019 allegations of numerous matters on corruption and WHITE Collar Crime from East to West, these islands being a cesspool of for illegal activities that we condone everyday, the same people we turn to ask for help are the same people related some way or the next. The Only thing we need or that can help issssss GOD Save Us All......men Can't help. FYI my .i.p
“They are hesitant to provide witness testimony, THERE ARE HESITANT TO STAND UP AND SAY THIS IS WRONG and we need to do something about it and we need to support our police to do that,” he said in frustration.
I don'
I had an incident at my house one night and I called the police to deal with it the next morning I was at one mark and a lady who lives in town walked up to me and asked me about the incident when I asked her how she knew about it she told me one of her friends a policeman who was there told her about it never me again
He is reaping the reward for that behavior