Caribbean News
Police Commissioners Parade welcomes new vehicles, new recruits, awards long service officers & re-instates Officers
National Leaders Attend
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, December 19, 2022 – An armoured vehicle has finally arrived in the Turks and Caicos, it was part of the handovers at the Police Parade held at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex on December 17th.
“I wish to acknowledge the presence of His Excellency Nigel Dakin, the Governor, Honorable Washington Misick, the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Honorable Ministers of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, the Deputy Governor, Invited Guests, my Force Executive colleagues, Assistant Commissioner Strachan and his team
from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, RTCIPF Police Officers and Staff Force, members of the public, media partners and those joining us via social media and on line; you are very welcome to this Commissioners parade, the first for a number of years.
I also acknowledge and welcome Father Douglas the RTCIPF Chaplain and Bishop Laish Boyd visiting from the Bahamas,” said Trevor Botting, TCI Police Commissioner in his remarks at the December 16 event.
The $400,000 vehicle is the first of two for the police and the government promises that they will ‘be an important tool in combating crime and broader national security.
“A Police Commissioner simply could not have asked for any more from a Government in terms of financial support to bring in Officers from our close cousins in the Bahamas, to the purchase vital equipment to assist in keeping our officers safe and the trust that we will do what was needed to restore security to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
You may have seen the new vehicle arrive on the parade square, a vehicle that will help our officers take the fight to the very front door of those who are seeking to terrorize our communities. Hon Premier, thank you for supporting the procurement of this vehicle, my officers will be exponentially safer for it and we are grateful.”
Along with the new vehicular additions, 14 new recruits were also at the ceremony as they prepared to go off for their
training in several weeks. In addition to that there will be 13 recalled officers joining the ranks, a significant increase to the Force’s numbers.
“Having reflected on this year, I want to look forward to 2023. As a Force we are developing our capability and capacity. We are investing in the leaders of the Force to enable them to better serve their teams and deliver a high quality Policing service to our communities, we are building our policing capability and capacity, including our intelligence capability, investing in our Investigation Team and our Tactical Unit, important functions in the prevention and detection of crime.
Our ambition to deliver a community policing model remains strong and our recent community events have demonstrated this, I expect this to expand and deliver even more during 2023.”
During the ceremony Long service awards and Queens Jubilee Medals were handed out to deserving officers in addition to that a cash prize was awarded to the officer who was considered to be the best turned out officer on parade,
“The parade today is a chance for me to do a number of things:
- Recognize officers who will receive long service medals,
- Acknowledge officers who will receive the Queens Jubilee Medal which will be issued later at Police Headquarters
- To thank our colleagues from the Royal Bahamas Police Force for their contribution to policing on the TCI
- Acknowledge members of the community who have shown outstanding support to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force
- Say thank you to our civilian members of our Fantastic Police Band and;
- I will also be awarding a cash prize to the officer who I considered to be the best turned out officer on parade, a hard job for me to judge given the excellent turn out today.”
Police Commissioner, Trevor Botting used his speech to also address the people of the TCI. He described the events of the last quarter of the year as a ‘ferocious attack on human dignity.’ While acknowledging that he may not have always got things right he had ‘always sought to do the right thing to ensure the safety and security of our citizens and the safety and development of the hard working men and women of the Force’.
Adding, “The last four months has been tough but we have shown ourselves to be tough and uncompromising in our response. We have made progress but there is more to do and we are committed to doing it. I want to reassure our communities that we will remain on the front foot in tracking down and bring to justice those who seek to terrorize our communities.”
Castries, March 2025. Saint Lucia has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring human rights for all.
This was the collective assertion, as over 20 national stakeholders participated in a two-day national Human Rights workshop. This initiative was hosted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Regional Caribbean office, in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s satellite office in Saint Lucia, and the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs. 
The workshop, was designed to enhance awareness of the International Human Rights System, including treaty bodies and human rights mechanisms; build capacity of government officials and civil society members in data gathering and human rights reporting; and to highlight the role that respective agencies and their constituents play within this system. The Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs is the focal agency for Human Rights in Saint Lucia.
In welcoming participants, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Ms. Janelle Modeste-Stephen, noted that advancing human rights was a shared responsibility. “Government must enact policies and safeguard rights. Civil society must continue to advocate and mobilize. The private sector must embrace inclusive practices. Communities must challenge discrimination and uphold the dignity of every individual,” She urged stakeholders to use the workshop as an opportunity to learn, collaborate and commit to concrete action that will make human rights a lived reality for all in Saint Lucia. “Together, we can build a society, where justice, equality and inclusion are not just aspirations but everyday realities”, she stated.
A key objective of the workshop was to reactivate and strengthen the capacity of Saint Lucia’s National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights, which was established by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2019. The Ministry of External Affairs serves as the Chair and Secretariat of the Committee, which comprises representatives from various government ministries. The committee is responsible for analyzing the human rights situation at the national level and collaborates to report on recommendations aligned with Saint Lucai’s national priorities. The active
functioning of the National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights is crucial for promoting and protecting human rights.
Reflecting on the utility of the workshop, Ms. Bynta Ernest, the representative from the Department of Gender Affairs on the National Human Rights Committee noted that the session was essential to the Committee’s revitalization and to demonstrating its importance in advancing human rights in Saint Lucia. “The practical sessions towards reporting on the recommendations from the last Universal periodic Review (UPR) were also very useful to kick-start the process towards meeting our October 2025 UPR reporting deadline,” she added.
In fulfillment of Saint Lucia’s human rights related reporting obligations and deadlines, workshop participants prepared a draft plan of action to devise next steps to advance Saint Lucia’s human rights agenda.
The workshop was held at the Harbor Club Hotel, from March 5-6, 2025. Participants included representatives from departments of External Affairs, Health, Education, Labor, Justice, Human Services, Gender Affairs, Immigration, Equity, Economic Development, the National Statistical Office, the Parliamentary Commissioner’s Office, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities.
Photo Captions:
1st insert: Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs
2nd insert: Bynta Ernest, Gender Affairs
Kingston, Jamaica, March 10, 2025 – The Government has significantly increased investments in healthcare and should another crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic hit the island, the country will be better equipped to deal with it, according to Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
Speaking at the unveiling of a monument in honour of healthcare workers who died while tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, today (March 10), at the National Chest Hospital in St. Andrew, the Prime Minister said out of a commitment to strengthen the healthcare system and to strengthen the healthcare workforce, the Government instituted the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship in 2024.
“We are investing $2.5 billion to support 607 students pursuing studies in medical technology, nursing, biomedical engineering, and other critical health-related fields,” he said, adding that the fund is ensuring the building of a robust pipeline of professionals “dedicated to service in the health sector.
“This is a solid commitment of how the Government is dealing with building resilience in the system, supporting our professionals, and at the same time ensuring that we can deliver healthcare with care,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that while July has been earmarked to recognise the “selfless contribution of those who carried us through the crisis, more needs to be done”.
“Our appreciation cannot be confined to a single month or a single event. It must be reflected in how we value and support our healthcare professionals every single day. To the families of the fallen, I know that no words can fill the space left, especially for your loved ones,” Dr.
Holness said.
The Prime Minister underscored that the legacies of the healthcare workers live on in the patients they treated, the lives they touched, and now in the monument that has been erected.
“Let us commit to a Jamaica where those who dedicate their lives to caring for others are themselves cared for. Let us also commit to upholding the values these healthcare workers have embodied – care, compassion, resilience and unity. In their action and sacrifice, they made a choice,” the Prime Minister said.
March 10 marks the fifth anniversary since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the country, and the fourth year since the start of the recovery with the administration of vaccines.
Contact: Garfield L. Angus
Release: JIS
-
News1 week agoTurks and Caicos Advances Virtual Asset Regulation with Capacity-Building Workshop
-
Health1 week agoColombian Medical Team saves North Caicos Boy from rare throat disorder
-
News7 days agoDepartment of Tourism Regulations Engages Clement Howell High School Students in Immersive Tourism Education Experience
-
Bahamas News1 week agoCarnival Corporation Hosts Barbados Government Officials Aboard P&O Cruises’ Britannia to Showcase Environmental Stewardship
-
Health1 week agoMinistry of Health Encourages Early Detection on World Kidney Day
-
Government1 week agoSwearing-in of the 30th Canadian Ministry led by Mark Carney, New Prime Minister
-
News7 days agoBusinesses Invited to Name Events at the Turks & Caicos National High School Track & Field Championships
-
Bahamas News6 days agoBeyond the Mainsail: The Sailors of Sassie Sue and Patton Pride