Experienced detectives to join RVIPF
Scene of crime investigators in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.
Experienced homicide detectives are slated to join the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).
Police Commissioner Michael Matthews made the announcement at a community meeting with business owners of Cane Garden Bay this week.
According to Matthews, employing well-seasoned murder investigators is part of a move to improve the RVIPF.
“What catches people’s attention and naturally catches people’s concern are violent crimes. And, of course, we have had violent crimes in Tortola since the hurricane hit, and across the territory, before the hurricanes hit,” Matthews said.
“So one of my priorities has been to rethink the strategy and response to violent crime. One is developing a better, faster, and a more confident armed response in the territory. And the second is about bringing in experienced homicide detectives to work alongside detectives here to increase their development, to increase their capacity and detection range.”
More officers coming
The top cop also said the Force will get an increase in its numbers.
He said at least 15 new officers will be added to the force every year for the next three years.
He said the Force’s aim is to have a minimum of four officers per district.
Matthews said the RVIPF is also slated to receive police dogs and two additional armed response vehicles.
The extra armed response vehicles will bring the total number assigned to the RVIPF to four, and will be shared between the West End, East End, Road Town and Virgin Gorda police stations.
The armed vehicles are necessary to be able to respond to extreme circumstances 24/7, Matthews explained.
“They are to give you safety, not to give you fear,” he noted.
A series of gun-related crime a few months after the hurricane resulted in a number of murders; including an 11-year-old girl.
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Great news..get those scally wags
Good move Commissioner. In my view you are the best Commissioner we ever had from the U.K. I am glad to see that Government with assistance from the U.K. is finally giving the Police the necessary resources to do their job. Continue to recruit only the best. That way you will continue to transform the RVIPF into a professional police force. You also need to strengthen the force’s intelligence capabilities which would also improve detection rates.
Furthermore, invest in your senior officers and send them to he U.K. or Canada to provide them with senior management training. This will assist with with succession planning. It would be good to have a BVIslander at he helm of the force again when the time is right and it would be good to identify someone and invest in them from now even if you have a U.K. appointed Deputy. Perhaps you also wish to revisit or look at the option of appointing an Assistant Commissioner in order to strengthen the management as well.
My only issue is one whic is beyond your control which is the necessary information that is often needed to solve these gun crimes. It seems like the majority of people with information is still no prepared to give it to the police.