News
Police BREAK DOWN Barriers in Kew Town
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, September 15, 2023 – The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force brought out the heavy machinery on Tuesday as they rolled into the Dock Yard Community smashing through barriers erected by residents.
The crashing sound of a boom on one of the newly acquired armoured trucks plunging repeatedly into the civilian erected blockade brought residents nearby out of their homes to observe the demolition, which would arguably lead – later in the week – to illicit drugs and firearms seized and a homicide suspect, taken into custody.
An armored car with a battering ram attached, arrived in the community before midday on Tuesday September 12. Captured on cell phone video, viewers watched as the truck plowed through the piles of wood and other debris in the 20-acre community.
The barriers are said to be on private property and are a testament to the apathy of the Turks and Caicos Government towards the community, at least according to residents.
That story came to light through a visit from Bishop Coleta Williams III and Wilkie Arthur to Dock Yard on Monday
Dock Yard has seen its share of violence and gained a reputation for criminal activity. While the barriers impede traffic and would have likely hampered police entrance to the community, some residents saw them as a bastion of safety.
They were brought to national attention by Bishop Williams of Abundant Life Ministries International, who is also the Chaplain of the House of Assembly when he called for them to be torn down. He was speaking to the Premier and his PNP Party members in a church service on August 20.
Despite the incredible traction of the story about the Bishop’s comments and the feedback from the Dock Yard residents, no elected government official had spoken on the hot button issue.
There was however, comment from the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), which when quizzed by Magnetic Media denied that government has no interest in developing the area. It was explained that there are as many as 3,000 residents residing in Dock Yard; an unregulated settlement which has been allowed to grow for decades unchecked.
Justice Carlos Simons KC, Head of the ISU maintained that it is a matter of public health, national security and a sincere interest to ensure all residents are enjoying equity when it comes to their quality of living.
Tito Lightbourne, the Permanent Secretary of the National Security Secretariat explained the government is “desperate” to get into Dock Yard and the other 45 informal settlements in a measure to regularize living standards.
Now, those barriers are at least in part removed, opening up the community to emergency vehicles, police patrols and walkthroughs. In fact, Dock Yard is now decidedly more accessible to law enforcers as they aim to gauge the breadth of residents’ needs as they weed out undesirable activities.