STATEMENT BY MR. IAN M QUEELEY, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE IN RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS MADE BY SENATOR HON. NIGEL CARTY
The High Command of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force at this time registers its strong disappointment at comments made in the broadcast media by a Federal Parliamentarian, the Honourable Nigel Carty, an Opposition Senator in the Federal Parliament.
The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force in the last week has been successful in removing a number illegal firearms from our communities. Rather than support and encourage our officers to continue their vigilance in the fight against crime, a few persons have used the media to question and bring discredit to the validity of these results.
During a broadcast of Freedom Radio (FM-106.5), on Wednesday 16 November, Senator Carty in his remarks explicitly implied that Police Service was involved in the “manufacturing” of success stories with regards to the finding and removal of illegal firearms from our communities.
Senator Carty’s statement was untrue, without merit or foundation.
Further, the remarks made by Senator Carty against the dedicated men and women of the Police Service can only be described as irresponsible calculated to erode and undermine the herculean efforts of the Police Service to ensure public safety. It is unfortunate, that Senator Carty, whose responsibility as a parliamentarian is to uphold the law, and the preservation of the same, would engage in this type of behaviour.
It is also Senator’s Carty responsibility as citizen, and as a Member of Parliament, to report to the police any information or evidence regarding criminal wrong doing by anyone including the police.
The continuing efforts to ensure citizen safety in St. Kitts and Nevis will not wane in the face of such unfounded allegations like those levied by Senator Carty and others. I have spoken to my officers and I have assured them that the Nation appreciates their service, sacrifice and continued vigilance to ensure a safe St. Kitts and Nevis.
Let us join together to ensure Citizen Safety, and refrain from these types of vile and unhelpful accusations.
Citizens and Residents, our Police Service is committed, we remain steadfast and focused on our objective of ensuring Citizen Safety. I ask each of you to partner with us. A cohesive effort of Police and Community will bring the desired results of reduced crime and the fear of crime for all. In closing I encourage you “if you see something, say something,” and you can do this by calling your neighbourhood or any Police Station, by speaking with a community leader you trust such as a Pastor, or by calling Crime Stoppers the anonymous hotline at 1-800-8477(TIPS).
RESPONSE TO STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE IAN QUEELEY
by
SENATOR NIGEL CARTY
[ November 18, 2016 ]
As a former member of the Federal Cabinet of Ministers, I have had the distinct pleasure of working closely over a number of years with our men and women in uniform. I have had the good fortune of providing legislative and policy support for the initiatives of the security forces of our Federation. From what I can tell, for the most part, the men and women in our Police Force are highly professional people who mean well. Be that as it may, we as citizens cannot turn a blind eye to the few rogues and criminals in uniform who corrupt the ranks of the Police Force. And, beyond the rogues and criminals, good police officers sometimes bow to overt or subtle political and other pressures in the subversion of justice. These pressures to which I refer are excessively egregious under the current administration. These are matters to which my attention is often turned.
Over the last thirteen months or so I have had the need, as a private citizen and a member of Parliament to express some poignant views in relation to the Police. My first critical statements were made in October 2015 in relation to the handling of an incident at Conaree involving the importation of contraband into the country. The public would recall the arrest of three (3) persons including the son of Former Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Simmonds. I recall one senior officer of the Police at a press conference falsely indicating to the public that a question as posed by a member of the press corps could not be answered because the case was ‘sub judice’. I observed the police trying to tip-toe around the son of the former Prime Minister and I predicted then that despite the excellent work of the Police leading to a successful interception that evening at Conaree, the case would go nowhere.
The Police would do well to assure the public that I was wrong on that score, and I would be happy to so admit.
It is my duty as a citizen and a legislator to reveal the flaws and compromises in our system so as to help improve our system of justice and our democracy.
One other matter of which I have been very critical is the apparent lack of will on the part of the Police to deal with the Facebook character, Mabel Richards. The actions of the cowardly persons behind the fake name are bordering on treason. They have issued threats against the life of the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and the lives of other people. They have engaged in rank and naked character assassination and defamation of ordinary men and women of our state. The most recent postings of Mabel in relation to the shootings at Valu-Mart in which the life of a businesswoman was tragically ended is but one mundane example. Mabel’s actions undermine the police and our justice system, and threaten the lives and livelihood of ordinary people. This has been happening for over a year.
The individuals behind ‘Mabel’ are criminals of the highest order who have set about using electronic means to subvert democracy, justice and the rule of law, and to bring chaos and disrepute, in pursuit of a narrow political end. And, they are connected to people in government. I contend that one of the actors behind ‘Mabel’ is a Police Officer. Where else in the world does anything like this happen on such a calamitous scale without the instant bringing to bear of state resources to stem the outrage?
Can we expect the Police to use the resources that it DOES HAVE to deal with the ‘Mabel’ criminals? Does the Police High Command view these criminals as a threat to the stability and integrity of our state? Does it have the will or the liberty to pursue this matter as it ought?
Thirdly, I come to the specific matter that the commissioner addressed in his response to my recent allegations. The members of the Opposition have long contended that the government has sought to politicize the Police Force. The very first address to the Police by Prime Minister Harris in February 2015 was a political address without question and is stark evidence of that politicization. His political statements to which many of the officers cheered were, to the public, a confirmation that some officers had hitched their carts onto a political bandwagon. Whenever there is political consideration driving the actions of a police officer (who, by the way, has enormous powers under law), he or she on a singular basis may take action to achieve a politically desirable end. That action may be completely unknown to and unsuspected by his superiors. It is often the one bad apple that spoils the bunch.
A case in point is what was attempted by Juni ‘Scrape’ Hodge when he was appointed Superintendent of Prisons. After a presumed lock-down of the prison, the Superintendent announced that a large cache of contraband, guns and mobile phones had been seized during the lock-down. There were pictures to substantiate his point. This, however, was a blatant falsehood and was calculated for political mileage only. I should not need to remind anyone that the Superintendent is a former Police Officer.
The Commissioner of Police, therefore, in response to my allegation, ought to have set about to get to the bottom of the matter rather than appearing to be dismissive of the issue. His dismissal of this issue may embolden the offenders. He knows that there is always a possibility of corruption in the Force. Only recently was a young police officer found corrupting himself in the drug trade. Others are suspected of similar conduct but on a larger scale. The Commissioner could have discreetly engaged some relevant individual to discern any possible leads to the perpetrator.
My only hope on this matter is that my statement has caused greater vigilance by our men and women in uniform of their own peers, and that would-be perpetrators, however few and far between, would recognise that there is a network of informants who would ensure that information on their corrupt actions eventually comes to light.