TRIBUTES have been pouring in following the death of the TCI’s first female police officer.
Ethel Ingram Pinder passed away at the Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas, in the early hours of Monday (May 14), aged 68.
Mrs Pinder joined the ranks of the RTCI Police Service in 1964, paving the way for a steady and continuous influx of women officers ever since.
Leading the tributes was Inspector Irene Butterfield, who described Mrs Pinder as a ‘pioneer’.
She said: “It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Ethel Ingram Pinder and our thoughts and prays are with her family and friends at this very difficult of times.
“Mrs Pinder had the honour of being the first ever female officer to join the RTCI Police Service and therefore can be considered as a true pioneer.
“The Service was completely male-dominated in those days and it was naturally a huge challenge and struggle being the only woman among the ranks.
“But it was a challenge she rose to with great distinction and she was definitely the pacesetter for all us women officers who have followed.”
She added: “Since 1964 the number of female officers has risen steadily year by year and so we thank Mrs Pinder for her amazing and dedicated contribution.”
Born in Over Back in Grand Turk, Mrs Pinder was educated at the now Helena Jones High School.
After giving many years service as a constable, she relocated to Freeport in the Bahamas before returning to her beloved Turks and Caicos Islands, where her only son, Durando, is a serving police officer.
Assistant Commissioner Rodney Adams said Mrs Pinder’s legacy will live on in the history of the TCI.
“The passing of Ethel Ingham Pinder, the first female to join the ranks of the RTCI Police Service, is indeed a sad day for many of us”, he explained, “and as an organisation we say thanks to the family for lending their loved one to us.
“Mrs Pinder has led the way for female officers and has truly made her mark in the history of our country.
”Sleep on and take your rest, we love you but the lord loves you best. May her soul rest in peace.”
Meanwhile Commissioner of Police, Colin Farquhar, added: “Firstly, on behalf of the RTCI Police Service, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ethel Ingram Pinder.
“Mrs Pinder was a truly remarkable woman who gave many years of dedicated service to both the Police Service and the community at large, and she will be sadly missed.
“As the first ever woman officer to employed in the TCI, she set the standards for others to follow and I’m proud to say that women now, quite rightly, make up a large proportion of the RTCI Police staff with many holding senior ranks and positions.”
Mrs Pinder is survived by her husband, three daughters and a son.
