IMPACS REPORT : COPS WARY

But Promise To deliver Best Service Possible

THE man now in charge of lifting the spirits of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force says the organization is “deeply touched” by Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony’s March 8 address to the nation that referenced the IMPACS report.

Errol Alexander, who as of last Monday has been elevated to the rank of Acting Police Commissioner in Vernon Francois’ absence, told the media yesterday morning that police officers have been trying their best to cope with the allegations that some of their members have been accused of wrongdoing during the police crackdown, “Operation Restore Confidence”, some years ago.

“It will always have a certain amount of effect on our motivation (and) a lot of questions we ask ourselves as police officers,” Alexander said. “We are human beings and you’d have to understand that we’re human beings.”

Nevertheless, Alexander said the police force will continue to do its work its officers swear to do, saying the organization has always had “good disciplinary process” in place for its members. He said the fate of police officers accused of wrongdoing is guided by due process as is the norm for civilians.

“I cannot come to work tomorrow and send police officers home. That’s not my purview. My purview is to discipline police officers so that they can work within the confinements of the laws of Saint Lucia. That is what it is all about,” Alexander explained.

Alexander said that while he was not in a position to assess and determine certain areas covered in last Sunday’s address by the Prime Minister , he remains concerned since his executive has had to put in place many mechanisms to ensure that the organization continues to do its work. The road ahead might be long, he said, and police officers need to band together. No rebranding is necessary at this time, he said, saying that the police force underwent such a process just under a decade ago.

“It’s going to take a healing process and with the healing process (and) it might be long,” Alexander said. “But I think that with the support of the members of the executive (and) our Gazetted officers, we will get through. All in all, we’re not the first and not the last that this is going to happen to.”

Alexander said the executive will aim to deliver the best service possible by motivating its members, including those police officers affected by the injurious allegations cited in the Prime Minister’s address. He urged criminals not to feel emboldened by the police force’s current negative stigma.

“We will continue to function and maintain zero tolerance to crime. That means that we will not relax on what we’ve been doing. We will still continue,” the Acting Police Commissioner said.

He later added: “We are professionals and we work as professionals. We are leaders, so there are certain expectations coming from leaders and professionals.”

According to Alexander, the full content of the IMPACS report remains a mystery to his organization as of now since it “hasn’t been shared with us”. He said that based on that, “everything else are allegations until we are able to see the report and read (it) and if further actions with reference with what was said to the DPP.”

“If anything was shared with the Commissioner (Francois), we don’t know,” Alexander said. “But we are not cognizant of any of us having gotten the report. We would be happy to get it. I’m serious as to what I’m telling you because at least having known what’s in it, it would cause us to increase certain strategies… But since we don’t have it, we only have to deal some issues coming in from the Prime Minister’s address.”

Thus far, Alexander said, the recommendations in the IMPACS report remain unknown to his executive. Nevertheless, he said, the police force stands ready to take the requisite actions needed to ensure their implementation of such recommendations which should “pave the way forward” for the police force.

“So in terms of the report, it is all left to the Prime Minister as to what degree of the report he shares with the executive,” Alexander said.

While Alexander did not indicate to the media at the time of the press conference that he had been elevated to the post of Acting Police Commissioner, a press release from the RSLPF’s Public Relations Branch was issued around noon confirming such.