Zero calls with information on recent fatal shootings- CoP Matthews
‘Sick to the bottom of my stomach’- CoP
The child, Trinity A. Thomas, and Air Traffic Controller Franklin E. Penn Jr died when the SUV they were in came under gunfire from close range while at West End, Tortola on November 22, 2017.
“We saw last week in this territory the slaughter of an innocent child, let alone another adult murdered on our streets. An 11-year old child was slaughtered, and it made me feel sick to the bottom of my stomach… but what makes me feel even sicker is that there are people living in this community right now who are hiding those killers, and are protecting those killers,” Mr Matthews said while a guest of the ZBVI 780 AM radio show, Honestly Speaking, with Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline on November 28, 2017.
Bizarre loyalty
Mr Matthews was asked by the host what the community could do to help the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) do their job so that the residents and visitors can feel secure. Without hesitation he responded that community cooperation is key to the success of policing.
At air time; however, there was no one who had stepped forward with information pertaining to the shootings of November 22, 2017. “If you ask me the question, How many persons have rung in and given us information since that shooting? It’s a very short answer- none.”
“It’s some bizarre loyalty, whether its cultural, whether it is members of their family, whether its fear.
Lack of trust in police
Mr Matthews admitted; however, that a lack of trust in the police by the community is one of the hindrance to crimes being solved or prevented.
“The sad truth is that we are not getting the cooperation from the community, in the sense that people are turning a blind eye to criminal behaviour, people have a fear of speaking to the police. Part of that is about trust, part of that is about having confidence that what they say is going to be dealt with confidentially.”
Nevertheless, Commissioner Mathews reiterated that “by doing nothing, by not standing up as a community, by being prepared to turn a blind eye you are condoning their actions and you are allowing them to walk free and you are allowing them to kill again.”
He further stated that he has evidence to support that some previous homicides are linked and that friends and families are protecting the perpetrators.
In his final appeal, Commissioner Matthews reminded listeners that Trinity was young and had her whole life ahead of her and residents with information should feel passionate and responsible enough to support the RVIPF in bringing the criminals to justice.
.png)
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
27 Responses to “Zero calls with information on recent fatal shootings- CoP Matthews”
Given that truth, does not a dependency has rights to access critical resources from the "mother country to aid its subjects in cases such as this one?"
And where are the "no independence stay on the plantation voices" on this issue? They still inside cleaning maser's house?
With competent intelligence, this and other cases can be solved.
and scattered around, but what is strange is how they can do almost anything in front of some police and never
be touched. tortola immitating old chicago mob inflitrated behaviour. i'm surprised these british troops or police
who have been here don't do something - they just show their automatic weapons off and stand by.