TCI News
TCI: Nearly 200 join the vigil in memory of Police Constable Carter
#Providenciales, March 12, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – We had to walk over shards of glass from shattered windshields, walk by broken bits and pieces of his Wrangler Jeep scattered at the scene, stand next to a crumpled rubber glove likely used in the traffic investigation and bear with the undeniable feeling of eeriness which crept in with the dusk… throngs of people most donning white and who knew and loved him marched silently to the final resting place of beloved Turks and Caicos Islands police officer, Constable 223 Mauquency Carter.
Women were wailing. Grown men were weeping. Heads were bowed as disbelief mournfully, painfully gripped the scores who turned out for the solemn ceremony for ‘Quincy’, as he was affectionately called.
It would take even a stranger only a matter of minutes to gain a full understanding of the kind of man Constable Mauquency was. Listening to the loving thoughts, cherished memories and broken hearts of those who knew him best, painted a portrait of a man we could admire, a man of whom we could be proud and a man who would be sorely missed for his effervescent personality.
A member of the Tactical Unit of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police, this night there would have been a unity party for the crew… instead there was a dramatic change in the script. There was no jovial gathering, this one was solemn but unity was still very much achieved as family, friends and colleagues represented for their “brother’” who was described as a man full of life, a man who lived life fully and a man who was a great father to his two sons.
His grandmother, trembled as she neared the spot where her grandson was fatally injured when his jeep collided and reportedly flipped over, with her ‘boy’ inside. Valeria Houseman is a strong woman, known by all as such, but that strength was fiercely tested this evening as a candle light prayer vigil unfolded a mere 16-hours after Quincy was pronounced dead at hospital.
Supported by her sons and Jericho Baptist Church Pastor, Pedro Williams Mrs. Houseman took measured steps, shaky steps and arrived with tears streaming and clutching a huge floral wreath of blue and white and red until stood at the ‘spot’. No easy task, yet she handled it with grace and like a champion.
Old hymns were solemnly sung. Prayer was thoughtfully prayed and a heartfelt message was sweetly rendered.
“I believe when we lose someone it is okay to cry. I believe it is okay to be sad. I believe it is okay to grieve because I believe that becomes an expression of the love, the depth of love and friendship that you had with that person,” said Pastor Pedro Williams.
The healing process requires those expressions of grief advised Pastor Pedro, “…but as you cry, I want you to be able to remember the good times that you had with Mr. Carter. Remember the times that you laughed together, the times that you sat in the police station or the police car and you socialized in those moments of laughter, those moments of joy.”
Pastor Pedro, who knew Constable Carter personally described the young officer as a respectful young man, who was always beaming a smile and encouraged those gathered at the accident site earlier tonight to lean on God for comfort.
“…But ask God to give you the strength during this time to be able to survive and to be able to go through and to be able to move forward from this point. Indeed we have lost a young man with great potential. Every time I saw Mr. Carter he was very bright in terms of laughter and the expressions on his face and being very friendly. He was always very respectful to me as a pastor in the community and always joyous. I believe today he would not want for you to be sad, but even in that sadness to let your face be radiant and to remember his laugh.”
The Police report explained that ‘Officer Carter was the driver of the grey Jeep Wrangler that was involved in a two-car collision on Monday, March 11, 2019 shortly after 2 a.m. on the Leeward Highway in the vicinity of Provo Plaza. Officer Carter was transported to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre where he was pronounced dead at 2:47 a.m.”
Magnetic Media is informed that ‘Quincy’ suffered serious head trauma in the accident. Images of his jeep, shared on social media gave insight into the severity of the crash; extensive front end and roof damage seemed to support an account that the vehicle flipped over in the collision.
The female driver of a gray Honda car, involved in the accident, was taken to hospital for injuries, said the report.
Police Commissioner James Smith said, “We have lost a very special individual who will be sorely missed. This is going to be a very difficult time for Carter’s family and for each of us.”
Certainly it is difficult, and evidence of the popularity of and love for Quincy is already apparent as nearly 200 people turned out for the 90-minute service at the scene of the traffic accident. Minister Jay Morley lent his voice to the vigil, loved ones together sang Officer Carter’s favourite song ‘Stand by Me’ as candles were lit and cell phones were illuminated in a touching tribute to a man, who even in death, has the amazing ability to draw his people together. The memorial wreath was placed at the crash site.
Constable Mauquency Carter was 29-years-old and hails from the island of Grand Turk.
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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 20 February 2026 — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in collaboration with key
government agencies, coordinated a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Block and Parcel 60609/33 in the Five Cays area.
The exercise was led by the Crown Land Unit, pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land. The ISU coordinated the operation, with support provided by the Planning Department and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, while the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured security throughout the activity.
The enforcement action followed a series of inspections conducted by the Crown Land Unit throughout Five Cays, which identified several illegally constructed buildings made of concrete and timber on sections of the subject parcel. In keeping with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance, occupied structures were served Letters of Illegal Occupation, delivered by hand to occupants and
posted on structures where individuals were absent. Incomplete and unoccupied structures were served Notices of Unauthorized Occupation pursuant to section 22 of the Ordinance. A total of ten (10) Letters of Illegal Occupation and three (3) Notices of Unauthorized Occupation were issued during the exercise.
The Informal Settlements Unit reiterates that these coordinated enforcement exercises form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to uphold the law, protect Crown land, and manage informal settlements in a structured and lawful manner. Members of the public are reminded that unauthorised occupation and development on Crown land is unlawful and subject to enforcement action.
Almost two million visitors recorded in 2025
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – The Turks and Caicos Islands saw an increase in stayover arrivals in December, seven percent higher than the corresponding period in 2024.
Preliminary data suggests that stay over arrivals by air for the month of December was 66,427 in comparison to 62,610 in December 2024.
From January to December 2025, preliminary visitor arrival numbers totalled 640,754; on par with the number recorded for the same period of 2024.
Stay Over Arrivals YTD December 2024/2025
The first quarter of the calendar year attracted the largest number of arrivals with visitor arrivals three percent higher than the first quarter of 2024. Reduced airlift from the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably the Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue services, was however felt from the second quarter (April to June). As a result, visitor arrivals dropped three percent in the second quarter.
By the third quarter of this year (July to September), geopolitical and economic conditions in the key source markets, namely the United States, led to further contraction of arrivals. In the last quarter of 2025, arrivals were impacted in October due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa but additional airlift from the USA and Canada resulted in an increase in arrivals in November and December.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant of Experience Turks and Caicos, said December’s increase in stayover arrivals is an encouraging indicator of the sustained interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination.
“While we note and continue to monitor geopolitical shifts that affect us, Experience Turks and Caicos is focused on increasing marketing initiatives in our primary source markets. We have spent the last two years investing in groundwork such as crucial travel advisor training to assist them in selling the destination more effectively. In the next fiscal, we will be building on those initiatives with co-op activities with partners as well as out of home advertising to increase visitation to our destination,” he said.
In Cruise, the preliminary count of passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346, a 22 percent increase over last December. This growth follows the berthing of 11 additional ships in Grand Turk this month.
From January to December, the cruise sector continued to outperform the same period last year, as the 1.3 million total cruise passengers recorded, marks a five percent Year-on-Year increase. 
The cruise sector experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2025, with passenger arrivals surpassing last quarter by 53 percent. In the second and third quarter however, several cruise lines adjusted their itineraries as vessels were pulled from the fleet or from the Caribbean region, which resulted in fewer passengers.
Arrivals dropped seven percent and 10 percent in the second and third quarters, respectively. Double digit growth was recorded in the last two months of Quarter 4. This growth however, was not sufficient to outweigh the drop in arrivals experienced in October, following the cancellation of cruise calls due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Despite the late-quarter rebound, arrivals for the final quarter of 2025 closed six percent below the same period in 2024.
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