BVI News

New top cop tackles domestic violence! To seek help from UK

Commissioner of Police, Mark Collins.

Newly-installed Police Commissioner, Mark Collins has taken an active interest in tackling domestic abuse — an offence believed to be somewhat prevalent in the British Virgin Islands.

Having only been in the post a little more than a month, the top cop has already had meetings with the Governor’s Office and local stakeholders to ‘look at the territory’s Domestic Violence Action Plan’.

Some of these stakeholders include the Family Juvenile Unit and ‘a team of partner agencies’.

“We’re looking at what the priorities are, what the mechanisms are for supporting people that are suffering from domestic abuse,” said the Commissioner who added that the police will be seeking external assistance to bolster their efforts.

“To take it one step further, we’re also looking to do some work with the Metropolitan Police in the UK and some other work from the Camden local authority in London because they are seen as world leaders in dealing with domestic abuse,” Collins further told members of the media at a recent press conference.

The Commissioner made it clear that the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force has a “zero-tolerance approach” to domestic violence and will be “looking for arrests to be made and support to be given to victims”.

In the latest reported cases of domestic violence locally, the police arrested and charged 23-year-old Towers, West End resident, Shawnee Sampson, for Cruelty to Child. She was granted $2,000 police bail ahead of her appearance before the Magistrate’s Court on June 25.

Just last week in an unrelated incident, a son reportedly stabbed his dad in the gut. It is unclear whether the son is a minor but police said they had taken him into custody for wounding.

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10 Comments

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  1. Wow says:

    They are truly intentional in their role and symbolisms as colonial stewardship.

    What a pity.

    Like 2
    Dislike 6
    • @Wow says:

      what a pity you don’t get it

      • @@Wow says:

        Oh i get it alright. What’s there not to get? It is plain for all to see.

        You can’t get the fact that some are not blind and expressing their sightfulness.

    • Common sense says:

      No, the Commissioner recognizes when we need outside help versus following the local tradition of fudging it themselves thereby adding to the problem. Stop the racist garbage and wake up to reality.

      Like 10
  2. lillian says:

    good start!! excellent we need accurate law against violence in bvi tortola during the NDP ADMINISTRATION WAS FATAL !! no more abuse no more please!

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  3. Sturpss... says:

    UK assistance for domestic violence really!? You telling me we cant tackle this problem ourselves? These UK people just looking for reasons to bring in more UK people.

    Like 5
    Dislike 8
    • Jason bourne says:

      they will use every excuse to get more UK operatives in place to slowly take over positions of influence.
      They always come first with gifts and a smile under the cover of help, then without knowing it they divide from within and conquered every place they have walked into. never give up leverage or any form of power no matter how small.

      Like 3
      Dislike 5
    • And says:

      How long we trying? You all really don’t see we need help in here. Wake up for peace wake or snap out of your trance.

  4. Patriotic bvi says:

    Please bvi is so arrogant.we need help wherever we can get it from.

  5. Shaft says:

    Looks like some of those birds were activated

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