Commissioner of police Colin John is asking the public not lose confidence in the police force, the commissioner made the plea at a news conference held on Monday .
“The organisation, we can do without those kind of ‘allegations ’…” this is according to Royal SVG Police Force top cop Colin John as he addressed concerns put forward by members of the media fresh on the heels of officers of the local constubalry being charged for rape and other offenses.
“They are just allegations but nevertheless it can erode or it can adversely affect the image of the organisation [sic],” Commissioner John continued. Citing examples of persons expressing their worry about the trustworthiness of the Police he said “the public, they have the Police in high esteem and they hold us to a high standard and we should not betray the confidence of the public.”
The scandal, which was reported here late last week, revolves around multiple members of the local constabulary being charged for rape and burglary .One victim was said to be a ward of the State as she was supposed to have been in protective custody. This, we have learnt, is due to her participation in the Government’s court case relating to a brutal homicide for which she is a key witness.
According to media reports (https://annsvg.com/index.php/2019/11/28/state-witness-an-alleged-sex-slave-for-police-while-in-protective-custody/) the “… young state witness… has been repeatedly raped and sexually exploited by some members of the police force… the sex acts have been so frequent and demanding that she literally grew worn and traumatized… so shaken that she contemplated suicide.”
In an attempt to restore and retain public trust the Commissioner was quick to point out that the accused are essentially innocent until proven guilty and that such allegations should not be used to prejudicially view the Force based on the actions of a few ill behaved officers.
“They are just a tiny minority… the force is more than a thousand persons and if 2 or 3 persons … operate below the standards expected of an efficient and professional police officer we cannot really or we should not paint with a broad brush and label the organisation based on two or three bad examples,” John explained.
The fact that the executive branch of the Police Force has “allowed the law to take its course” as opposed to “trying to cover it [the allegation] up or sweep it under the carpet,” is one signal the Commissioner hopes Vincentians would appreciate as part of the constabulary’s commitment to safe guard public trust and protect potential witnesses from such abuse.
“It is not a true reflection of the organisation and the standard to the organisation is held and persons are able to see that… the hierarchy of the organisation, we do not condone.
1 Comment
Confidence was lost in the police over the last 18 years as they beat and pulverised the accused citizens in police station holding cells and interview rooms. Prisoners on remand are terrorised by the police and forced to admit to crimes they did not do. Turning up in court with black eyes, bruised faces and even broken ribs.
The police are just another section of the general public as are politicians. Politicians and police have long been accused of rape and other serious crimes for the longest time. Whatever happens in the public realms is happening in the official ones, it’s an evil circle.
One of the biggest losses in confidence in the police comes from the police becoming politicised and doing the will of ruling politicians, some of whom themselves need locking up. Those at the top are protected by the police and can do anything they want to anyone they want. For some SVG has become a hell hole.
Police chiefs attending political rallies dressed in red suits and dancing like some long lost member of an African tribe. Even that gave loss to a lot of confidence.