Premier wants ‘home-grown’ talent for top cop post
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has expressed a desire to have a local at the helm of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) once again.
Premier Wheatley was asked at a recent press conference about the issue and whether he felt a new commissioner should be sourced from within the Caribbean.
While contending that the Police Service Commission will be responsible for that process when that time comes, the Premier said his hope is that the role will be filled by someone who is highly qualified for the role.
“Over the years, we’ve been advocating for our own local police officers to be able to step to the fore and I’m happy that we’ve seen some local police officers being recruited,” the Premier stated.
He added: “We’re hopeful that we have persons rising through the ranks; that we provide them with the training and the opportunities necessary to rise through the ranks and of course, we expect that, as [happened] in the past, that we can have homegrown talent rising to the level of a police commissioner.”
Meanwhile, Premier Wheatley, in addressing the issue of escalating crime in the territory, said he believed the BVI should be more reliant on CARICOM colleagues in assisting in the territory’s crime-fighting efforts.
The Premier was quizzed on whether he felt it would be more effective to have Caribbean-trained officers recruited to the RVIPF.
“The short answer is yes, and we’ve already had a lot of assistance from our Caribbean brothers and sisters through CARICOM,” Premier Wheatley said in response.
Dr Wheatley noted that the government has already had some collaboration with the Caribbean-based Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) which he said has been helpful in streamlining the advanced passenger information system.
“We’re appreciative for whatever resources are provided to us through the United Kingdom. But I agree with you. In the region here, we have to work together more because, of course, all of us face a similar challenge,” the Premier said while alluding to the drug trade.
He added: “All of us in the Caribbean are impacted by the proximity to the United States where most of the illegal guns in the Caribbean originate from the United States, The more we work together, the better we’ll be able to solve crime, which is a transnational problem.”
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Our Premier is perhaps too young to remember the local commissioner we had and the reason we haven’t had another one. The head of the Police cannot be related to anyone and be expected to disregard familial and other relationships.
but then Superintendant Vanderpool arrived and she is now ready with enough experience and treats everyone no matter what your last name is the same in the yes of the law. Its time for this lady to take the top job.
I am from the UK
Where in the UK don’t recall anywhere in the uk called long look. Stop lying you piece of sh.t you are not one of us.
We only need to look at the DPP to see how picking somebody homegrown may be the wrong choice.
Not ready. Full of air. Grossly incompetent. This list is long.
Not confidential at all that why they want to get rid of the now commissioner
You all come on here with your mind games talking nonsense believing you dealing with an uneducated ignorant class of people. We have had two local cop and at none of their tenure was the BVI in this state.
You use the excuse about everybody being family and nobody is arrested check the prisons and see who is up there. But it’s all a mind tactic to keep a UK commissioner in the post even if he is a failure.
There is a lot that goes on in this country the cocaine and wild parties and it’s not locals who doing them allegedly. And who are these young boat guys working for. Also many people not of Caribbean descent have come here with nothing and suddenly become millionaires.
Who is investigating them nobody of course. Our people need to wake up and read that mind control is a big part of this game being played on us.
We all ready have crooked doctors working with crooked teachers helping ex police officers to do dirt and not pay bills. We dont need anymore crooked so called professionals in big positions!
Does he mean local or tied to the Caribbean? There was one very high up in the ranks who is no longer there. We wonder why? I heard he is back in the land of his birth in the Nature Isle.
All the CoP’s in the RVIPF have grown up in the United Kingdom or its overseas territories so they are all home grown. They are also the King’s subjects just like everyone else in the UK and the overseas territories.
Premier refuses to understand that ‘home’ is the mother country which includes the BRITISH Virgin Islands. He regularly confuses independent Caribbean island countries with the dependent overseas territories located in the Caribbean Sea.
Home grown so that the Premier Sl** Wande and the A** Clown Brigade on the behalf of the 1% that they represents can pressure in to doing their bidding
We keep crying for locals, but one only has to take a look at how su*er cop operates and his general attitude….and you really question the mentality of our locals cause he’s just the tip of the iceberg.
That’s not a Good idea
Nothing wrong with a home grown chief of police. Question is are the home grown chief of police going to stand up for what is right by the law and not cover up for local families/family members, friends and everyone that they know.
HRH will say no because of “capacity building”.
Ex Inspector Dean Fahie is best of all local police officers ever serving the territory. Give him the chance to serve and he’ll round up the best of the best to assist him in lifting the Police Department.
Boy go sleep , you don’t know what the feck you are talkin bout
Hahahah,, Dean Who ???
Paula ALLEYNE
I believe you are taking a joke too far. What is Paula’s qualification? Absolutely NONE. Don’t repeat your sentiments as some things are better left unsaid.
Ever
Not ONE young BVI person out of every hundred wants to join the force .
Do your survey . I dont know what ignorance this man is talking do your survey and see why they would never join the force
One group of people the police need to keep a beady eye on here is the politicians.
Far better that the top cop be someone from outside unconnected to our ruling elites.
Not ONE young BVI person out of every hundred wants to join the force .
Do your survey
The only homegrown we need is our ganja..bye