10 RVIPF officers currently interdicted from duty- CoP Collins
The RVIPF, which is the responsibility of the Governor, has been led for the past decade by Commisioners of Police from the United Kingdom.
“The Force currently has 10 Officers interdicted, one on compulsory leave, and seven live investigations,” CoP Mark Collins stated during the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) held recently at Maria’s By The Sea Hotel to examine the draft estimates for 2022.
The Commissioner, while addressing members of the Rotary Club of Tortola on July 8, 2021, had said steps are continuously being taken to address the situation of corrupt officers.
“I know I’ve got bad apples in the organisation, you know that as well as I do,” Mr Collins said bluntly.
Commissioner Collins had also said one of his priorities at the helm of the RVIPF is to build more trust in the police force.
“To make sure that I got police that actually can be trusted, can ooze confidence and satisfaction to the community and I’m able to weed out the bad apples,” he had said.
Low morale
The RVIPF in the past has also had to deal with low morale, especially among officers from the Caribbean, including locals.
It was in October 2020 that local officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) had alleged they were being sidelined for jobs in favour of officers from the United Kingdom.
The RVIPF, under then-Commissioner and UK national Mr Michael B. Matthews, had advertised various vacancies that were open to both local and UK officers; however, the local officers believed that the qualifications set out, such as Professionalising the Investigation Process (PIP), are deliberate attempts to sideline local officers, knowing they would not be able to make those qualifications although, they are reportedly capable of carrying out the jobs being advertised based on experienced and even training.
They had also argued PIP is a standard not a qualification.
Further, it was alleged that the salaries being offered for the advertised posts were huge and would be a burden on the public’s purse and that it would serve the treasury better if a fraction of that money was spent on facilitating training for local officers to take up the advertised posts.
The then Commissioner had said the positions were open to local officers, local persons as well as external applicants, “If you want your police force to function effectively, then certain skill sets are required and it’s a fact of life they are not all available locally. Certainly, the Ministry recognises this even if a handful of disgruntled officers do not!” Mr Matthews had responded when asked for a comment on the situation.
It is unclear what is the morale of the RVIPF under new Commissioner Mr Collins.
Locals dominate RVIPF numbers, followed by Vincentians & Jamaicans
Meanwhile, Mr Collins said present statistics indicate that Virgin Islanders currently dominate the RVIPF, followed by Vincentians and Jamaicans.
The Standing Finance Report (SFR) said the CoP stated that the RVIPF has a staff contingent of 364 Police officers and staff with 299 being Police Officers and 65 Police staff.
“However, Police Officers’ numbers will be 256 since there are 43 vacancies. There are 85 females, 171 males. Sixty Officers are from the BVI, 58 from St. Vincent, 35 from Jamaica, 20 from Dominica, 8 from the United Kingdom. The RVIPF is also comprised of Officers from Antigua & Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Nigeria and St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Recruits
CoP Collins said there are currently 14 recruits going through the training exercise and they will complete their training by March 2022.
He said when the 14 are appointed, there will remain 29 vacancies to fill in the RVIPF.
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20 Responses to “10 RVIPF officers currently interdicted from duty- CoP Collins”
So many persons are shouting about independence. Answer this, who will make up the military, if a solid police force can’t be formed at this time? I am not saying that we can not obtain help from external sources such as the UK or otherwise but we have to start looking inward. We must start to believe in and build up the people of the BVI.
I always say the men and women in the BVI law enforcement officers are both grossly unequipped to do an effective job and not appreicated for the job they are doing.
I know plenty good officers and sadly they have to work alongside some that are not setting a good example but sadly thats the world we live in.
No one was born knowing evil or evil doing its a choice they made.
"Nothing in any law or done under its authority shall be held to contravene-subsection(4),to the extent that the law in question authorizes a court to try a member of a DISCIPLINED Force for a criminal offence, notwithstanding any trial and conviction or acquittal of that member under the DISCIPLINAR law of that force; but any court so trying and convicting such a member shall in imposing any sentence take into account any punishment imposed on that member under that DISCIPLINARY LAW".
Section 37 of the Police Act Cap 165 states:-"(1) Any offence against the Regulations that relates to the DISCIPLINE of the Force may be INQUIRED into and dealt with-"
A police officer, who is charged with a criminal offence, for public criminal trial, also commits a disciplinary offence of- DISCREDITABLE-CONDUCT under disciplinary law-Police Regulations".
The officer can tried by the Police Court, and be punished, under disciplinary law, before the criminal trial.
Dear VINO:
Let COP Mark Collins explain that to the public:
Because according to the law in the Police Act, it would be lawful, as expressed in section 16-(12)-(c) of the BVI Constitution, for the COP, to DISCIPLINE under disciplinary law, distinctively and separately, from the criminal charges, ALL the officers who are on interdiction. Has the COP done that? Why?
COP Mark Collins, MUST explain the procedures under the LAW to the public!.