In a surprise move, Governor Gordon Wetherell, who heads the direct rule Interim Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, has announced that commissioner of police Edward Hall, deputy commissioner Hubert Hughes and a third assistant commissioner, whose name has yet to be confirmed, are being retired.
It appears that, while these top police officers are approaching retirement age, they are being excused early because of accumulated leave time. Their official retirement is due to take effect in March 2011.
However, this move has drawn particular attention locally as a result of reports that officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who were recently contacted to assist the police management, will now in fact replace them. The replacements are under contract to serve for two years through March 2013.
Recent visits to Canada by Wetherell may have served to cement these arrangements Reportedly the RCMP officers are already present in the TCI and will continue to ?assist? until the TCI belonger police officially retire..
This follows the recent arrival of additional police officers from London’s Scotland Yard — also brought in to assist. Five experts were brought in for a short period, which will end soon. Andrew Rosindell, chairman of the British-TCI All Party Group and elected member of parliament of the Conservative Party in Britain, had called for a much larger group to be present for a longer period of time.
Many local residents are celebrating the retirement of Hall, who had been under pressure as a result of the gradual escalation of crime over his term of service. This escalation has recently experienced a dramatic upswing.
On a number of past occasions, Commissioner Hall publicly announced crime figures that he portrayed as light to moderate. However, in 2010, the police admitted that the incidents of crimes had in fact doubled. The 2010 crime wave was also marked by increased violence.
The arrival of Canadian replacements is, however, is receiving a mixed reception from locals. Other Canadian entities, including the Canadian-owned power company and Canadian-run health care system, have themselves been the target of discontent in recent weeks for the high costs and somewhat compromised service associated with their operations.
Many here believe that local or possibly British replacements would have been more easily accepted.
It appears Governor Wetherell will use the two year contract period to recruit or promote new police leaders.
The introduction of greatly increased penalties for unauthorised gun possession and use of guns in crime has also been recently pushed through by Wetherell.
Eight unsolved murders, including one of a policeman, and what appeared to be an organised crime wave in mid 2010 has brought increasing pressure on the governor to take action.
Hall?s apparent inability to resolve the alleged involvement of the police in crime has also been at the heart of discontent with his leadership. This problem has ranged from police sponsoring illegal jitney drivers to a recent drug bust involving a police official. Rumours have also been circulating that the guns and drugs confiscated by police have gone missing.
It appears that all the focused attention and moves by the governor has forced some criminal elements to back off, as there have been few serious crime issues in recent weeks. One exception is arson. There was a failed attempt by an unknown arsonist to set fire to the Labour Department building in Providenciales. This has refocused attention on the recent fire that destroyed most of a large primary school in Grand Turk.
