Willock says RVIPF needs auditing & assessment on handling crime
Mr Willock was at the time appearing as a guest on the Talking Points radio show on ZBVI 780 AM on March 25, 2024.
“The Government, to their credit, I think that they are doing their best… remember crime and security is a responsibility of His Excellency The Governor and the Commissioner of Police, and the Minister of Finance has spent close to 8-9 million over the last 3-5 years, putting resources for the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.”
Willock added, “If you’re pouring money into something and you’re not seeing any result then somebody needs to take a look, somebody needs to do an assessment, somebody needs to do an audit of that organisation.”
Hon Mather raised similar concerns
Mr Willock’s comments echoed similar sentiments raised by Opposition Legislator Hon Stacy M. Mather (AL), that the RVIPF has received millions to secure the VI, but yet, results are lacking.
“We’ve sat in the House of Assembly since I have been elected, and we have allocated money to the RVIPF... We have allocated funds for them to the tune of millions of dollars… I think the RVIPF have resources… but the approach needs to be different,” he said at an Opposition Press Conference on March 19, 2024.
Meanwhile, as it relates to crime, Mr Willock said there needs to be all hands on deck in the VI to start the fight. He called on churches, the government, teachers, parents and other young people to be influencers of good.
“We live in a capitalist society and we need to change ways, were we can change the values of getting rich quick… most of us work long and hard for what we have and we have to find ways through the home, church, schools, NGOs to instil the sort of values to our young people, that those things don’t come overnight and that we have to work hard and that will go a far way in reducing crime,” he said.
20 Responses to “Willock says RVIPF needs auditing & assessment on handling crime”
damn that's crazy
where does the drugs ends up
where does the drug money end up
where is an update on unsolved cases
where is the C.O.I upon the RVIP
who bodyguards against the bodyguards
you mostly see a gathering of police after the crime was committed
2. What is the size of the force relative to other OTs, and similarly size forces ?
3. How does the VI crime ( violent and property) rate in contrast and comparison to other OTs and similarly sized locales (geography and population) ?
4. Is the RVIPF adequately resourced to do the job effectively??
5. Is the problem resources or leadership and management?
6. Why did the RVIPF didn’t get greater attention during the CoI conducted by Sir Gary Hickenbottom? Was the lack of attention deliberate?
7. Should the internal audit be conducted by an independent agency? Is the force too socially connected/socially cohesive for the audit to be conducted by in-house forces?
8. Should the internal audit strive for transparency, high level of confidence, independence, professionalism, etc?
It’s time that we are properly resourced, trained and equip to do the job.