Local activists demand Police Commissioner’s resignation
By Fitsroy Randall, BVI News Staff
Prominent local political commentators and activists are demanding the resignation or termination of Police Commissioner Mark Collin since the release of the now-viral ‘Policing in Paradise’ video that the top cop described as a recruiting tool for the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).
Since the video’s release, the Commissioner has issued a written apology for the graphic visuals depicting the territory as a violent and crime-riddled territory. But some locals are refusing to accept his words.
Local clergyman Bishop John Cline demanded the Commissioner’s resignation on national radio today. He expressed his distaste for Collins’ use of local police officers in the video.
“To use them to promote this dirty act is wrong. The governor knew about this because he had to give permission for them to get videos of cases still under investigation. The British, what they can’t control they destroy, and we will not allow them to destroy our country. What I am glad about is that the people are now seeing, what they couldn’t see before that the UK has no good intentions towards these Virgin Islands,” Cline said.
“The governor needs to categorically deny and put out a counter video promoting the BVI. He is not only here to look out for the UK’s interest, but also to look out for our interest as well and if you can’t look out for the best interest of the BVI then he does not need to be here either and he needs to work to repair the damage done under his watch and the people he is responsible for,” the bishop added.
Rosan: ‘Commissioner’s competency now in question’
Cindy Rosan, who has been critical of how the UK has dealt with security in the past, has expressed the same sentiments as Bishop Cline. She told BVI News she received the video yesterday and all she felt was rage.
She further criticised Collins’ rational that video in circulation was an incomplete production which he shared with a small group of RVIPF officers for feedback.
“I was so angry that a video like this could surface. I see the Commissioner put out an apology last night and the apology is unacceptable. Don’t get me wrong, I get on with the Commissioner but unfortunately, it speaks to his competency that he could even think that video could be shared with his colleagues for consideration. That video should not see the light of day,” Rosan said.
“When you sit back and think about the drug trafficking in the BVI for the last decade, say 10 years; the drug busts have been really police officers. So, if I was to make an analysis, I feel the UK is running a drug racket through the BVI. The governor is over the police force. So, I don’t know what to make of all of this. Unfortunately, I feel I want to see the resignation of the police commissioner. The video was unacceptable,” she added.
Crabbe: ‘Collins has been exposed’
Amberley Crabbe, a political activist who was a key organiser in the anti-UK rule protests in May, strongly condemned Collins and demanded his termination immediately.
“I don’t think anyone would accept any less than the resignation of the Police Commissioner or the firing of the Police Commissioner. When I saw the video initially, it reminded me of the UK media house following the arrest of our former Premier, painting the BVI where all these corruptions happen. Seeing that video then and this video now, it carries the same message, attacks our economy and our territory and it was very disturbing and shame on the Commissioner of Police,” Crabbe said.
Crabbe also claimed the video speaks to Collins’ view of the Virgin Islands people and reiterated that he was wrong for allowing the production of the disturbing clip.
“The commissioner is wrong, and he has been exposed and we do not want him among our people. He has exposed his officers. You have put your people at risk, he is not a good commissioner. He needs to go, and we will accept nothing less. We want his resignation, or we need him to be fired,” she said.
Heritage: ‘Shame on the Governor too’
Tola Radio VI talkshow host, Floyd ‘Heritage’ Burnett, condemned both the top cop and Governor Rankin for the production and publication of the video.
“Shame on the Governor as well. If the Governor is aware, dash them both away. That is an insult. It proves that a lot of these things are not just accidents or coincidences. They are planning different strategies against the people,” Heritage said.
The Office of the Governor has issued no statements regarding the matter.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
They might not like to hear it but but nobody cant say that video is not facts. If you want to be upset about something be up set that this is our reality.
If you are doing a documentary on a topic or person and only choose to highlight one truth then it’s not a fair presentation of the topic/individual, let’s not play smart here. Nobody is saying we don’t have crime, what we are saying is the video does NOT depict what the BVI is overall and it’s totally uncalled for. A simple search of youtube will unearth a multitude of recruitment videos from Police Departments globally and they’re nothing like the video circulating. The COP needs to resign because he has embarrassed his force and then lied about it. This was no recruitment video and his integrity is on the line. We had the COI because of situations like this and now we have 48 recommendations to deal with in 24 months as a result. The COP and his cohorts should be no different when it comes to upholding the integrity of their offices. HE NEEDS TO GO!
What part of the documentary wasn’t complete you can’t understand!!!!!
Your outrage is synthetic. You’re adding little layers on to make 2+2=7.
So you think this recruitment video was … what? A fake made by UK and secretly leaked in order to make the BVI look bad? Hmm.
OR a mistake so bad that COP should resign? A few of them have been made by people in power. Many remain.
OR it was biased because it shows only actual crimes and not tourists drinking coconut on a beach, so it is therefore a sign of UK nastiness?? Weird because we have plenty of nasty among our own!?
Considering everything we’ve been through in the last two years of CoI, ending in our head coach going to Miami, THIS is what call
an outrage?.
You are playing tricky. You just want a white scalp you can go around showing off to the people to make you look like the anti colonial race heroes you dream of being remembered as.
But the people just want a decent, fair, unbiased system to live under and not one ruled by scamps with double standards who judge you based on birth place, race or whether you’re in the BVI elite ruling class.
Sure, he might resign. But they’ll just send another. And he/she may be worse.
Bishop and friends need to know they are transparent to most people watching. They only fooling the mu mu.
Let’s talk about truths! The tons of cocaine talked about in the video involved multiple Police Officers, why was that ‘truth’ not mentioned in the story? Why is Jamaican music played in the background if it’s the BVI we are speaking about? Where is the depiction of community policing and partnering that they love to brag about? Why was sensitive footage of live cases allowed to be part of this publication? Nobody is saying the things didn’t happen, we are saying the video is wrong and should not have been done.
I am willing to bet that those police Ifficers are/ were from the lot imported to police their homies. Another fallout with the immigrant imports of criminal cultures.. Crime skyrocketed as it would and it became necessary to import police. It is a well established fact that police men from such places are of criminal persuasion.. The VI is their candy store.
Every aspect of life in the VI has been adversely affected by the immigration of a specific demographic..Soo when them start bellyaching I know that they created the poison,somehow,
You don’t like Jamaican music in a video that wasn’t intended for the public, therefore the commissioner should resign? Listen to yourself, you fool.
These the same “activists” that always on air leaking all kind of corruptive matters in the BVI???!????!!!????
Same difference people so give your mouths a rest from trying to always be front and center.
Many of them are delusional and want others to be delusional also. Nobody want to hear the truth about the BVI. Where were these people when our citizens were gunned downed on a regular???
The truth is an offense……….. Jah lives!!!!
Sometimes the truth hurts.
Cline doesnt want any police looking into his affairs.
With good reason.
The Premier of the place and a top government official have been arrested and charged with drug running and these clowns think the video destroys the BVIs image in the world.
Do they have any idea how bad BVIs image in the world already is?
Was every BVIslander running drugs with the former Premier? Like every country there is drug trafficking but there is a majority of us that work very hard legal trades within the BVI economy for a living and rely on this to survive. Stop playing up unnecessarily to suit your agenda. Every country has crime, drugs and corrupt public officials but you see England or any of them doing promotion videos to highlight this under the guise of Police recruitment. Come on man stop playing the people for idiots. .
How do you know they aren’t making videos in other jurisdictions? Would you see it or care if they did? Weak.
“Playing the people for idiots”.
What exactly are you complaining about? That they were working on a recruitment video and it was circulated to senior cops and one of them leaked the unfinished edit?
This is what happened. The rest is you all finding ways to be outraged. You’re not angry at the person that leaked an unfinished edit of an unfinished video.
You’re angry at the COP because someone in his staff was making a video showing bad things in the BVI?
Why? Bc you and others in the BVI are legal, this police video is wrong because it shows people who do illegal things?!?
Your fake outrage and “Playing the people for idiots” nonsense just makes no sense. It is a way for
you to scream at an outsider to make it like they doing us wrong – when most of the time we ignore mountains of wrong done by our own.
Why don’t you blame your former premier – the head coach – you bunch of hypocrites! Instead of attacking the person who has to clean up this local mess.
Reality bites – be upset with your elected leaders for driving this country down the shithole..
None of those clowns are leaders. Just a group of delusional narcists and noise makers.
Some trying hard to get political mileage for the election season.
The reality is that we have problems. The fact of the matter is that this is not a Tourist promotional video. It is a police recruitment video.
These fools just made it public and did a lot of harm by doing so. Who to blame? Blame your damn selves. Oh and take your flipping heads out of the sand (or clouds, in the case of CRJ).
I agree, who shared the unfinished video with the whole world prematurely. You all blame that person. She likes drama and confusion. Try keep her out the HOA with her crap
They are showing the true colours of the territory. Upset over the goddamn facts! We live here, we see the issues. Ok. So there is a video,
Meant for recruits, maliciously leaked.
It happened. Move on. There was no lie revealed
I don’t understand this outrage. It’s as though talking about the drug trafficking and murders is worse than the drug trafficking and murders. We get an large amount of brazen murders in the BVI for a population of our size. Only last week some one was gunned down in Fleming Street at 6.30pm.
Unfortunately criminals here have access to lots and lots of high powered weapons like AK 47s and Glocks. Even low grade disorganized criminals have them. We know why that is; they get smuggled in along with all the drugs. From my viewing of the film it did seem to be designed to attract energetic and motivated policemen, I think from the UK and the Caribbean. Good, we need them. There is a lot for them to do, and the force is under strength. There does need to be an investigation as to how the film leaked; and if they can find the culprit he or she needs to be punished.
the truth hurts, the video shows the truth about what goes in and the person who showed the video to Cindy was a police office why is she not asking for them to be fired? Oh wait thats her inside source another rotten apple in the barrel that needs to be expelled.
This is all because of the COI. The backlash against the UK for implementing a COI to expose and root out all our dirty laundry (which we’ve all known about for decades) is now getting into high gear. Every single country in the Caribbean has a problem with drugs transhipment and almost every country has a murder rate that is disproportionate to the population. The BVI is no different. What? We should pretend it is??
No surprise that all those against direct rule have jumped on this bandwagon. The agenda is to stop all further work on implementing the COI’s recommendations and make sure investigations are halted and no friends or family are arrested because we all saw how pervasive the rot is. Murders going unsolved, police under-resourced and undertrained has been happening for decades. Where were these voices asking for more and better trained and qualified officers to catch all the killers whose victims have received no justice?
It’s sad that these self-interested “activists” are now considered the voice of the people. There was nothing wrong with the video. It was accurate. It didn’t tell one lie about us or about who we’ve become. The more we pretend we’re a squeaky clean territory, the worse the crime and corruption will get as “activists” deflect attention from what is really going on to give themselves and their families and friends cover.
Forty years ago a video like that could not have been made because it wasn’t who we were. Slowly, crime became more normalized. Robberies that once happened at night started happening during the day. Murders done in remote areas started being committed in our streets and neighborhoods. The video could be made now because it is who we’ve become as too many of us pretended it wasn’t happening.
We have willingly become just like the other Caribbean Islands ,possibly because of innate self hatred with its propensity to self destruct.
Only because we imported and frantically installed their occupants along with hundreds of their policemen..carrying with them in their souls their endemic proclivities and cultural practices which includes murder and its resulting curse and Karma.
The majority of these imports and the majority of the now VI population are from the Caribbeans worse.
The new BVI,a text book example of self hatred and resulting self destruction.
A BVI which had CHOICES when it came to choosing the fabric with which to build.
Nothing to do with where people are from. Please don’t use my comment to air your prejudices. Greed and poor governance are what has gotten us here – remember Jimmy the Juice and others? All homegrown. Remember the three guys who were killed in Mt Sage? All locals. Smuggling has long been woven into the fabric of the BVI. Remember Elmore’s song “Over the Side”? Alcohol then. Cocaine now. All due to OUR greed.
It has everything to do with where you are from..affects your passport and ability to travel freely, gain employment and housing.
Your very existence influenced by where you are from in the world of reality along with race and ethnicity.
Where you are from,race ,ethnicity are determinants in how the world responds to you..I know first hand,Jamaicans and other Caribbean Folks who claim to be from the BVI rather than be embarrassed to say otherwise. Trust me ,its real.
Note, they won’t call for the resignation of the culprits who are running the country. No real love for this country. Fighting to keep the status quo. Liars – Thieves and Drug Traffic.
None has asked the question. Who released such a confidential material?
Cindy Rosan
She
Viewed it,saw it would be damaging in its unedited state and promptly released it to the World
Anxious to show the BVI in a bad light.
The enemy,she is in our midst masquerading as one of us.
Commissioner must resign, HAHAHAHA, people people people, this is a UK overseas Territory, cant you hot air blowers get that in you thick skull, blah blah blah.
Just be mindful of the fact that the video may be in circulation to distract from other investigations ongoing. Personally, I feel it is more important to investigate the decades of misappropriated funds, the lack of government transparency, the overinflated government contracts and the appointment of unqualified people to high salary or board positions…. What better way to distract everyone from the real issues plaguing our country everyday than to start some crazy narrative of a UK hidden agenda to take down the BVI so they can take over and take our resources…. COME ON! As a country we need to move forward together. This has done exactly what was intended… even the most outspoken activists have taken their eyes off the ball…. So we get a proper apology and the COP is replaced… then what? What do we as a territory gain from that? YES i agree that our Governor and our COP should have the upmost respect for our country and its people and this should be reflected in what they say and do and this video does not follow that narrative, but if we did not demand resignation for the greedy bill and for the ministers insurance packages what are we all shouting about? Do not forget that it is the elected government officials who have let us down time and time again to a point where we don’t even know who we can trust….Another sad day for our territory.
You tell them!!!!!
They’re so gullible!!!!
All the usuals puffing up to obscure the truth and keep the status quo so the place can never get better and we will continue to be controlled by this corrupt privileged elite. It was a poor recruitment video though! We should check it out when complete.
Talk is cheap….in the end, this is our land and anyone who do not like us and are trying to destroy us will have to go! No nation would expect any less…. We Had Enough Of Your Blatant Evil jealous hate! Do not awaken the Darkside of our people!!!
What is wrong with you?
You talk like the only people who matter in the BVI are BVIslanders and if we want to be evil, corrupt, complicit and cruel to others we are entitled to because we are BVIslanders
I am a BVIslander and I don’t see other people like this. Outsiders are a threat to you because, what, they challenge your sense of self worth? Your ego? Your senstive disposition? All of these emotional weaknesses are so important that they justify you threatening/committing the kind of evil we have ALL been raised to know as sin.
You don’t want a better BVI. You want your own insecurity to come first. And if that means a terrible BVI for you and everyone in it, you don’t seem to care.
Step back – what is it you want? A BVI run only by BVIslanders that repeatedly fails? Or BVI that works with the world and finds the best ways to thrive and improve life for all?
Some people are so far behind in the race they actually believe they are winning….
Ha ha the uk people out blogging
Strupessssssssss … this is not that serious but I guest it is some people’s way to TRY to be relevant. Be careful of those who thrive in and love chaos, they will drag you down with them. Too much crabs in the barrel.
Our political commentators are out of touch with reality.
Calling attention by highlighting an ugly truth is not the way.
Playing into the hands of the UK by demonstrating your discomfort with truth is paving the way for new revelations with more embarrassment and reminding the World of the VI and its ugly truths.
You are simply highlighting that he is doing an excellent job. He is not in your employment
Be still . Bad timing unwarranted and unnecessary.
Just as it was with the former Governor Jaspert.
Your former Premier is coming on the World stage soon soon to add more confirmation of ugly truths.
And,he continues to be in your employment while under lock and key in a foreign country.
The demo and calls should be for Andrew Fahie’s resignation and removal from the VI payroll. That would make some sense.
You cannot be wrong and strong with indignance. That is ignorance.
like a truly petty white man… so tell us all….why did you leave the BVI??
Top Cop need to investigate and find out which one of his trusted officers leaked the confidential documents and punished that person or he should go…
Can’t help but notice that these activists are the spawns of updeislun expats. Non total sons and daughters of the VI soil.
The outlook and mentality is from a netherworld.
A whole different gene pool with a full subscription to ignorance and ignorant behaviour.
This is nothing compared to how the BVI government has been treating us all these years! Don’t get side tracked now!
THE FANTASTIC 4
I don’t mind Braf but the other 3 nope. I am not coming
You lads are living in Lala land. You expect to be under the British Flag and want to do and say as you wish?
As long as these islands carry the crown on its name you are ours to rule.
You are living a reality where your top leader was brought down to his knees for allegations of drugs smuggling and weapons.
You cannot have the cake and eat it and then go to church and pray it off.
We are here because this country belongs to us. You just happen to be natives of the land.
Most of us expats are looking to leave, change will happen but not the change they want or expect. They will even ridicule this blog.
#massexodus
May your wishes come true.
Soon soon.
Happy sailing and good riddance!! Yet to see or hear of one person or country that is better on account of the UK being their/its colonial and imperial illegitimate masters… Show authentic proof of ownership ie receipts and other of purchase..
You WISH this land was yours. I can bet my last dollar that you line up at Labour every year for your work permit if you haven’t lived here long enough to attain status so try your best. If you think BVIslanders are walk overs then f**k with our land and see where you end up!
“We are here because this country belongs to us. You just happen to be natives of the land.? Really!?!
Show us your/the documents of ligitimate purchase of “this country” please.
The issue is not whether the video contained facts or not. The issue is the appropriate forum for such sensitive information. Why would the CoP speak so derogatory about the BVI…how can the community now trust this man and respect the RVIPF? Is there any nobility left in the RVIPF? This video invites disrespect of the CoP and the RVIPF and if you ask.me it looks like it was produced for by or for news organisation. I ask.myswlf if I was watching Vice news. We need a CoI on the CoP and the RVIPF anf this video…who.was the producer, videographers, interviewers…all those answering question on thw video need to be questioned. And how did they get sensitive evidence of ongoing murder and drug cases that was not in the public domain!!!! That video was not for no recruitment! You recruit by placing a vacancy ad in the newspapers. Is this what taxpayers dollars are being wasted on why the police cant get their increments???
Fools. The CoP did not speak derogatory about the BVI. He was telling it as it is.
You fools more upset about a stupid video than the fact that our premier was arrested for drug trafficking.
No values. NO sense.
I am a born here. Don’t want to live anywhere else. But reality is reality. Its time to recognize that this place has issues. Its time to fix it.
These crimes are happening each and every day. This video only highlights some of our issues. There are no lies, it’s honest and factual. Then why are some people so enraged? If you want something done, the support Mr. Collins and stop the crime! Some people really take the p**s!
Why the Hell they didn’t put up the photo’s of the Police Officers who they caught with the biggest drug bust in the Bvi. To our knowledge it was a Expat officer and former officer did that deal. They need to do a documentary of the Damn Corupt Police Force..
But the corrupt Premier’s Office doesn’t bother you?
Yep..their photos and/ or country of origin.
Bet my bottom dollar they are from the upper Caribbean islands.
Where is the REPARATIONS video.
Why is BVI News making this cl**n Cindy Rosan aka Mika Barry a topic? That woman is so vague and disrespectful that even when she is talking sense ain’t nobody going to take her seriously.
I can’t stand her face.
This video is the truth and nothing but the truth so help us God like my brother the late brother Peter tosh.
This man that claims to be a bishop and a man of God if he was for real he would admit that it is true and would call upon the people to pray for the nation and not supporting corruption and dishonesty shame to them all.
Your displaying your inner Nazi for that’s exactly what they would have said had the US not saved your country’s ax in ww2
Shameful but I recall you have no shame.
I TOTALLY AGREE ? FACTS IS FACTS , WHEN THESE JOKERS WANT TO BE SEEN THEY WILL SAY OR DO ALMOST ANYTHING, ( EVEN SIT IN THE STREET TO CREATE DRAMA ) PEOPLE GETTING ROBBED AND KILLED IN THEIR OWN HOME , PEOPLE GETTING GUNNED DOWN RUTHLESSLY IN BROAD DAYLIGHT COCAINE ALL OVER THE PLACE , BUT NONE OF THOSE WANNABE PRETENDERS DIDN’T PROTEST / .OR SAT IN THE STREET, WHEN THEY KILLED HER DOGS , SHE WAS HOLLERING OUT TO THE LORD ) AND WE KNOW THAT EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD HAS THESE SAME CRIMES GOING ON , SO ITS NO EXCUSE , THE QUESTION IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET IT STOPPED BEFORE IT GETS CRAZIER OR WORSE , FAMILY OR FRIEND , WE HAVE GOT TO EXPOSE THEM ,
For displaying the truth. lolooooooooooollllllllll
That could be in another video or in this one after it was edited. It was not a finished product. We will never know.
The culprit who did the deed was in a haste to embarrass the the BVI,the UK and the Commissioner
Her intent could have been nothing
but less than honorable and coming from a larcenous heart and mind.
I am in support of him resigning. There is not one video footage of police officers doing drills or exercises and you will tell me that was a video for recruitment. I have never seen the UK military advertise soldiers being shot up or shooting at others. Both he and the deputy should resign
All the usual c***** suspects. Typical and pathetic. How dare they ruin your reputation by telling about things you actually said and did.
The Belongership Status of all
four should be rescinded
That maybe the police were genuinely making an appropriate recruitment video which was edited by a third party – yes its the cops fault for leaking the draft incomplete – but some sick conniving bast#@d with bad intent made the finished clip
Local Activists? These people love drama and to hear themselves talk. We not listen to you anymore. It’s disgusting how you all act up. Go sit down. All you!
May your wishes come true.
Soon soon.
Anxious to show the BVI in a bad light.
The enemy,she is in our midst masquerading as one of us.
The Word says that if you break one commandment you are guilty of ALL! Was a gun held to The DCP’s head? Only the insane or a fool pulls down their own territory! I believe that The Governor, The COP and his Deputy all need firing, It’s hypocritical to fire one and not all.