Fellow Citizens,
I am writing to thank you for kindness and support during my time as Commissioner of Police in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Today, I wish to offer condolences to the Stead family and to address crime, gender bias and victimization in the Police Force.
I was appointed at a time when the Federation was experiencing challenges with crime, to include homicides. In 2011 there were 35 homicides and prior to that the homicides exceeded numbers that have not been reached during the last three years. Thanks to the hard work of the Joint Security Forces, it is a milestone that cannot be challenged by even the harshest critics. I say thank you to the community as well for their contribution many times in the phone calls to Crime Stoppers and my Whatsapp number 760-2145. I must apologize to you as the 662-2145 number is not working while am on leave.
Crime affects our economy. Crime also affects the quality of life in the Federation. Our economy is now tourist based and we cannot survive without revenue from visitors to our shores no matter what our personal beliefs. Our Federation does not own any airlines; we are dependent on air transportation to visit the world beyond St. Kitts and Nevis. Crime also affects the ability of the local man and woman to feed their families. The reality is that when the airline arrives in our Federation to bring guests to our local hotels and guest houses, our citizens’ board those planes to conduct business or go on vacation. When the guests who are in our Federation are ready to go home, the planes come back to pick them up. Without tourists, we have no airlines to travel. We own no planes and must be mindful that if our young men continue to eliminate each other without cause, and persons continue to amplify the crime situation worse than it is, the guests will not feel safe, and will choose to vacation in other destinations in the region.
I have written a Strategic Plan for 2015-2020. Though this is only a guide, if followed by my successor or the Interim Commissioner of Police, we will see changes in the crime situation in the Federation. I urge the government to continue reaching out to our at-risk children by continuing the investment of the programs in place like TAPS, MAGIC and the Law Enforcement Explorers Program. I have also suggested that the government continue the dialogue that was started in places like McKnight and Cayon to reach our young men.
Regardless of the situation that we are experiencing, we are still a very safe destination for guests from the cruise ships and the overnight guest industry. I have heard many arguments about the crime situation, however, as I have always stated, the stats are there to prove that overall; crime is down in the Federation.
One of the things that is written in this Strategic Plan is the recognition of the abilities of women to lead our Police Force. During my term, more women who are qualified to lead, and do so more effectively and proficiently than some of their male counterparts, have been promoted. However, there is wide spread gender bias and female victimization within the Police Force and that must be addressed. Do not believe the negative rhetoric that is circulated by the spin masters. It is a smoke screen designed to cloud the issue at hand. Let us speak to the facts.
Some of you have heard of the present situation in the Police Force where a female police officer was reduced in rank without cause. I have not been officially notified by the men who made the decision in my absence to demote this qualified female officer.
First, let me say that this officer is the only person trained in the Federation to operate the unit that she supervises. That unit is the Office of Professional Standards. This office investigates complaints against police officers and looks for corruption within the Force. As a result of the effectiveness of this unit under her supervision, the public for the first time is seeing police officers held accountable for their actions. This new way of holding officers accountable for their actions is sending shivers through the Police Force because records are now being kept. Some officers have been terminated and some are pending criminal prosecution because of these investigations. It is ironic that attempts are afoot to remove her from that office. Were that to happen, the Police Force will regress. It is up to the government to see through the mirage, and reinstate the officer to the Acting Superintendent position and let her continue to serve the public through the integrity of her office in holding officers accountable.
Let me clear up something that I read in an internet publication with regard to the demotion of Acting Superintendent Isles-Joseph. It was said that her acting appointment was incorrectly done and a decision was made by the high command and personnel to demote her back to her substantive rank. That is an untruth that is being fed to the public. I am part of the high command and the high command never met to discuss the demotion. I have written documentation from some of the other members denying any involvement in the decision and no knowledge of the demotion until it was voiced in the streets. That is documented.
The decision then would have been made by other persons in the high command in the absence of the Commissioner of Police. The government will have to address the situation as they were made aware of the victimization that was brewing against the Acting Superintendent before this happened. I am praying that this can be mediated. Women must be respected for their ability to contribute.
Let it also be known that in my time, I have recommended promotions in the same manner of giving the officer a letter and then sending a suggestion for promotion through the Anti-Crime Unit for onward submission to the Minister in Charge of the Anti-Crime Unit for his approval. If the Minister agrees with the suggestion of my office, the document is sent through the process to include the Police Service Commission. In the meantime, the officer would wear the badges of rank until the letter from the Governor General is returned and the officer can officially remove the acting from the title.
Fourteen (14) persons were processed this way. Eleven (11) of them were approved at the end of the process. As recently as three weeks ago, two more officers were promoted the same way, yet they still serve in their acting capacity even though the Acting Superintendent was demoted. Again, she was demoted but the last two officers recommended for promotion in the same way, are still acting in their capacity. Bear in mind that fourteen officers were waiting from 18 months to almost two years and kept their uniforms and acting rank until approved.
Please bear in mind that Acting Superintendent Joseph-Isles passed the written test, and passed the review board in the top three of the women and in the top five of the men. It is a clear case of victimization. This female officer has been the subject of victimization attempts before and they were addressed by me as Commissioner of Police. It is ironic that as soon as I took leave, the plan was put into action. I notified Prime Minister Harris and Attorney General Byron about the situation before I left the island. It still happened.
It is now up to the government to address the situation as there is another issue that is lurking. The document that was sent by my office to the Anti-Crime Unit is missing. There is proof that document was authorized to be sent on to the next level. Yet, the form is missing. There are copies of the original form that was sent, instead of letting the process move forward, according to the internet publication, persons chose to demote the Acting Superintendent. It was done without my knowledge as Commissioner of Police. Where is the form?
I have been all over the world and one of the issues that law enforcement in the associations that the Police Force associates with is the elevation of qualified women in the ranks. Our Police Force never had a female officer at the rank of Superintendent in its 53 year history so one female Superintendent and three female Inspectors were appointed at my recommendation. This recommendation was done in the same manner as Acting Superintendent Isles-Joseph. In the Force’s 54th year, a second Inspector was moved to Acting Superintendent pending approval by the Police Service Commission in the same manner as all the other persons who have been appointed under my leadership. Two Assistant Commissioners of Police were also promoted the same way. I also got the Nevis Superintendent and Assistant Commissioner of Police in Charge of Crime confirmed the same way. If indeed I erred as is being intimated by some to justify this victimization and gender biasness of the Acting Superintendent, then all fourteen persons who have been promoted under my tenure, should be reversed to their substantive rank. We cannot have it both ways. The government needs to reinstate Acting Superintendent Isles-Joseph and let the process move forward. The government also needs to reprimand those who mislead them about the meeting and decision of the high command as some of us in the high command were never told of such a meeting or decision.
The Force is moving forward, but there are those who would keep it the same way and would victimize those who work to enhance the image of the Police Force. This victimization of Acting Superintendent Rosemarie Isles-Joseph is a prime example of the gender bias that the Force must shed and is addressed in the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. I have asked for an investigation into the disappearance of the letter that was sent through as am told the Police Service Commission claims it did not receive it. I call on the Government of Prime Minister Harris to do the right thing in reinstating Acting Superintendent Isles-Joseph as it may appear that they were misinformed by those who stated that the high command made the decision. Let us respect our women, especially those who are qualified within the Police Force. May God continue to bless our Federation and the dedicated men and women of the Joint Security Forces.
CG Walwyn