Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 09, 2020 (SKNIS): During the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force’s (RSCNPF’s) New Year’s Celebration Service on January 9 at the NEMA Headquarters, Commissioner of Police, Hilroy Brandy, took the opportunity to highlight the Force’s tremendous successes in 2019.
The commissioner reported that at the end of 2019, there were twelve homicides. This, he said, represented an astonishing 48 percent reduction when compared to 2018. Additionally, there was an impressive 28 percent overall reduction of crime.
In addition to this, a record breaking 47 guns, to date, were removed from the streets.
Another notable achievement, he said, was the seizure of 136 kilos of cocaine, which is considered one of the largest drug busts in the history of the Federation.
The community policing efforts also produced significant results as several departments engaged with the community in a structured manner.
The commissioner mentioned the efforts of the Force’s social partners, noting that they were remarkable in 2019.
“Our mobile fleet was significantly upgraded with the donation of 12 police cars and we got the resources we needed to begin the second phase of the CCTV project,” he said.
Commissioner Brandy stated that in 2019, Districts ‘A’ and ‘B’ were able to come together to host the first-ever awards ceremony for Police Officers.
2019 also saw the launch of the Crime Management System, thanks to the Force’s collaboration with USAID and the UNDP.
Additionally, said the commissioner, in keeping with its one Caribbean mentality and its commitment to assist its brothers and sisters in the region, the RSCNPF was able to send officers to the Bahamas during its time of need following the passage of Hurricane Dorian and to respond to Dominica’s request for additional support during the country’s General Elections.
The commissioner made special mention of the promotional activities over the past year, which are integral to the force.
“We have seen tremendous growth on our social media platforms. People are hearing more about us and what we are doing,” he said. “In 2019, for the first time, our radio programme ‘Policing With You’ began airing on ZIZ Television, not once, but twice per week. I must express how pleased I am with the structure of the programme, the wide variety of guests and topics, as well as the increase in participation by callers. The feedback for ‘Policing With You’ has been quite positive and has come from various levels.”
As 2020 commenced with the culmination of carnival and Christmas activities, Commissioner Brandy applauded the officers for their dedication and professionalism during the season. He added that they did an outstanding job.
