TCI News
TCI: Fulford renews call for his threefold solutions to stem crime to be implemented
#Providenciales, August 18, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Another Sunday, another week gone by riddled with crime, from two broad daylight robberies of business establishments, to a bloody ATM shooting, to two stolen cars, to robbing a lone woman on Bible Street, (for Christ’s sake), to shooting a good Samaritan who was giving a ride to a hacker, to a man being shot in the head-stiched up and put on a flight, to an all out rain of bullets like at a man sitting in a car in the parking lot of the infamous Five Dollar Bar.
In a week where new Leadership takes the helm of the Police Force, (itself plagued by internal problems, to which one hopes Botting has ears to listen and the head to change from within), we would expect new blood would signal a new approach to policing from Tuesday 13th August 2019 the day after elected officials from Government and Opposition were seen grinning and posing up with the new executives of the Police Force.
The perpetrators who committed these heinous acts from Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th August did not take a single day off. They wreaked havoc on our society; displacing and disturbing any sense of the calm, peaceful place we all knew. We want our police to exhibit publicly a similar ferocity as the criminals towards hunting down and bringing these perpetrators to justice!
In 2017, I called on the then newly installed Governor Freeman and Commissioner Smith to implement the Fulford Threefold Solutions to stem crime. Neither of them heeded my call. Now, two years on, crime seems to be metastasizing its way into the everyday fabric of our society. It seems as if the then Top Cop tried everything but the Fulford Threefold Solutions. I am calling on this new leadership of the RTCIP to try a new approach to crime. There are many solutions that I will like to see implemented, however the top three solutions that can be implemented now to stem crime involves, firstly a confidential Informants program, secondly, organized and routine sting operations, and thirdly, daily Traffic stop, search and seizures.
1. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS:
a. Allocate half million dollars for the immediate implementation of a secure confidential informant program to allow the CI to provide useful and credible information to a Police Officer (CID) regarding criminal activities;
b. In exchange for that information once proven to be credible the CI would be paid”.
c. CID paid Informants in and from the communities of The Bight, Blue Hills, Cheshire Hall, Leeward and Five Cays, would open a line of effective communication. Cultivating informants in these areas could lead to many arrests and may lead to solving “cold cases”.
Some people may think this is “snitching”. I reject that. Instead, introducing informants could reignite a community spirit and also drive the fear back into the criminals, which is desperately needed right now. Informants can help reduce crime by putting criminals in jail through gathering intelligence that may distil new patterns that some law enforcement officers find hard to ascertain. But an informant – particularly one that may have once engaged in criminal conduct – will always know what is going on in the streets of the community. This knowledge base and strategy develops into critical case models and Countries all over the world turn to CI implementation, when crime is ‘out of hand’. Now, maybe it is our turn to explore this option.
2. STING OPERATIONS
Commissioner, may also want to consider setting up various sting operations throughout the islands of Provo and Grand Turk. Here is why: We know of the constant attacks of persons at the ATM Machines, so have CID officers dressed in plain clothes and use the ATMs at weird times in order to bait these brazen criminals to attack. The same can be done using fake tourist to walk the streets of Grace Bay. Here is what I would tell the head of the police: Commissioner you must put the fear back into these criminals and one way you can do so is to strike back through sting operations throughout Provo & Grand Turk.
3. TRAFFIC STOP, SEARCH AND SEIZURES
Implement a 24 hour around the clock random stop and search at every round about. Perpetrators are riding around with guns without any fear of being caught. Do this for the entire remainder of the year, and see the fruits that will be yielded from your labour. I am certain this Government would have no objection to paying these officers overtime for us all to feel safe again, and implementing these three measures is a good start that don’t require nothing more than a signature to get done.
TWO FINAL POINTS:
Certainly we have excellent committed Officers who serve proudly. But we must now admit that evidence of force corruption or criminals being tipped off by police officers has become too frequent to ignore. This puts other Officers lives in danger and undermines police work. Second, these measures must become permanent as part of a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude to crime. However, there is one species of crime that is the most dangerous for us, and that is where criminals from surrounding countries come for a few days and run wild in our country, wrecking its reputation. The key thing here Mr. Commissioner is there must be persons and even Turks and Caicos Islanders – who have forgotten their duties as citizens – who are facilitating these people. You must develop a strategy to deal with this, such as shared bail lists with neighbouring Countries.I know we cannot have the TCI we had 30 years ago. But there is no reason why we cannot reduce crime to the lowest per capita in the world! If we fail in this crime challenge we will end up with the TCI we deserve, but in which we will not and cannot survive.
By: Mark A Fulford
Turks and Caicos, October 28, 2025 – We are closely monitoring the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica, and our thoughts and prayers are with our regional neighbours for their safety and well-being
We are now entering a critical period as Hurricane Melissa advances towards the Turks and Caicos Islands. Current projections indicate that Hurricane Melissa will begin to impact the Turks and Caicos Islands around midday tomorrow, Wednesday, 29th October.
This morning, Her Excellency the Governor and the Hon. Premier chaired a State of Preparedness Meeting. All Government agencies and critical services are mobilised. The safety and protection of every person across our Islands remains our highest priority. Our emergency response teams are prepared and the TCI Regiment is deployed across each of our Islands to support community readiness and immediate response. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are on active duty, with additional officers in North Caicos, Salt Cay, South Caicos and Grand Turk.
At this time, the hurricane is moving north-northeast. The country is expected to experience tropical storm conditions, heavy rainfall and
significant storm surge. The storm surge poses a serious concern for low-lying coastal areas especially along our western and southern coastlines, which may result in coastal flooding. Based on the most current weather projections and anticipated impacts for the Turks and Caicos Islands, the National Executive have agreed the following actions:
1. Evacuation Advisories
Residents in specific low-lying and flood-prone coastal areas are likely to experience significant storm surge of 2-4 feet with accompanying rainfall. Strong advice is now place for residents in these areas to relocate to designated shelters which will be open from 4pm this afternoon. These areas include:
Middle Caicos
- Conch Bar Nearest Shelter: The Community Centre
North Caicos
- Sandy Point Nearest Shelter : Sandy Point Community Centre
- Whitby Nearest Shelter: Adelaide Oemler Primary School
- Bottle Creek Nearest Shelter: Adelaide Oemler Primary School
Providenciales
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- Chalk Sound Nearest Shelter Enid Capron Primary School
- Five Cays Nearest Shelter: Enid Capron Primary School
- Discovery Bay Nearest Shelter: All Saints Church, Leeward Highway
- Juba Sound Nearest Shelter: A. Louise Garland High School
- Long Bay Nearest Shelter: A. Louise Garland High School
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South Caicos
- Cockburn Harbour Nearest Shelter: Community Centre
- Old Airport Road Nearest Shelter: Community Centre
Should an evacuation order become necessary, it will be issued following the 6:00 PM Advisory this evening from the TCI National Weather Service.
2. Activation of Emergency Operations Centre
The National Emergency Operations Centre in Providenciales and all Islands Emergency Operations Centres will be activated at 4:00 PM today.
3. Shelters Access
Shelters across all Islands will open today at 4:00 PM to receive members of the public.
4. Shelter-in-Place
A Strong Shelter-in-Place Advisory is in place for all islands, commencing at 10:00 PM tonight. This will be in place until the all clear has been issued.
This means that from 10:00 PM tonight, all residents should be off the road, in a safe location, either at home or a designated shelter.
Please note that this position may be revised following the 6:00 PM Advisory from the TCI National Weather Service, depending on updated storm projections.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) has confirmed that all airports remain fully operational for today. They will advise the public about ongoing operations dependent on the weather impacts.
In times such as this, the role of commercial entities extends beyond business – it becomes a vital part of the community’s resilience. All retailers and service providers are urged to uphold their humanitarian responsibilities by maintaining fair pricing and ensuring essential goods and services remain accessible to all.
Residents and visitors are reminded to adhere strictly to all official advisories and evacuation orders as they are issued. Avoid unnecessary movement, secure your property, and ensure that you and your family are prepared with essential supplies. Stay prepared and stay safe.
Turks and Caicos, October 24, 2025 – Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey delivered an impassioned address to male students at Clement Howell High School, calling on them to recognize their power, seize their potential, and “awaken the sleeping giants” within.
In a message that blended humility, faith, and personal experience, the Commissioner reminded the boys that the decisions they make today will shape their future.“The choices you make today determine who you become tomorrow,” he said.
Bailey, who revealed he was the first in his family to attend high school, urged the students to embrace education and discipline as tools of
transformation.“Knowledge is power. If you want to be a real man, you need to read,” he told them. “Remember your potential — if others can do it, so can you. Some of you are sleeping giants waiting to be awakened.”
He emphasized that circumstances of birth do not dictate destiny, challenging the young men to carry self-respect, faith, and moral conviction wherever they go. “Self-respect is key; respect yourself, respect others, and respect God,” he said. “The circumstances you were born into do not define who you are.”
The Commissioner also spoke about resilience, advising that true strength often lies in restraint.
“There will be challenges, and people may try to impede your development — but rise above negativity. Sometimes, strength means walking away,” he said. “Some of you are sleeping lions; it’s time to awaken that instinct and rediscover your true potential.”
In closing, Commissioner Bailey delivered a stirring challenge:
“Each morning, look in the mirror and remind yourself that you were created by God and are capable of great exploits. You are a possibility with potential. Step forward with confidence — this is your country, your islands. Be the best version of yourself.”
Following his speech, the Commissioner engaged the students in open dialogue, answering questions and listening to their perspectives on issues affecting young men in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
