Published 03 November 2018
Buckie got it St Kitts and Nevis News Source
ACCOUNTABILITY A PRIORITY DURING OPERATIONS
Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 02, 2018 (RSCNPF): Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) with responsibility for Operations, Adolph Adams, is assuring the public all officers involved in an operation are held accountable.
Speaking about the involvement of members of the Regional Security Service (RSS) in local operations on a recent edition of the “Policing With You” Programme, Mr. Adams further assured that oversight was always provided.
“Every time the RSS goes out on [an] operation or on duty they are assisting our local officers, so it means that our local officers would be taking the lead and they are being assisted by the RSS or the Defence Force or the Customs Department, [whichever] department is assigned to a special team,” Mr. Adams emphasised. “The RSS would never be working in any situation on their own.”
He explained that while the RSS team comprised Police Officers from other territories in the region, they were to observe all the laws of the land. He added that these Officers were also well-trained.
“We have had meetings with the RSS, we have gone through aspects of our Constitution, [and] our Police Act with them, [and] also our regulations so they understand. Most of the persons who are here from the RSS are senior persons – from corporal and upwards to inspector…so they understand policing, they understand how to deal with people,” the ACP elaborated.
Mr. Adams also said that he was alarmed by claims making the rounds in the public domain that members of the Regional Security Service had used excessive force during operations, however, after several enquiries, he discovered that most of those claims were unfounded.
“I am from St. Kitts and there’s no way I’m gonna feel good about people coming here and beating up people from here…the laws of the land will be observed by all members of the RSS and as long as I am in this position where I am managing this operation I will not tolerate any bad behaviour or any nonsense from any police officer against our public. I won’t tolerate that [at] any time.”
The ACP for Operations said that the Police were listening to the public and would continue doing so.
“The general public has been asking for the Police Force to be more proactive as opposed to being reactive, to be consistent, to be aggressive and we intend to keep that focus. We intend, in going forward in the next coming months, to reduce the acts of criminal activities that are going on in the Federation,” Mr. Adams said. “We know that we’re approaching our most busy season where persons would come into the Federation for carnival, the shopping time would be increased around the Federation and we want to give persons a sense of security when they go about doing their business. People should not be scared to walk around in Basseterre or anywhere in the Federation, so we’ll be out in our numbers and, again, I’m telling you we are listening to the public. The public is calling for us to do this and we’re gonna do it in favour of the public. We owe it to them and we’re gonna deliver.”
